Unalaska
by Lbug84
Summary: A look at the life Katniss, Peeta, Finn & Gale live in Unalaska. AU, Polyandry, mature themes, lemons, the whole 9. Historical fic written by a scientist. Grain of salt, y'all. Enjoy the story. Reviews are love.
1. Unalaska

Authors note: Hey y'all! So I got this idea of a fic. My direct experience with Inuit/Eskimo/Native Alaskan culture is limited to a summer camp I went to in Canada. I was eleven, and an Inuit girl was my cabin mate for 6 weeks. She got heat stroke in 70 degree weather and she hated ice cream. Anything else I pull from research on the Internet. So hopefully I don't piss off any history buffs reading this with the liberties I've taken. I don't know much about polyandrous societies, so if you're an anthropologist reading this, please take it all with a grain of salt. And hook me up with some details that Wikipedia and Britannica left out. This first chapter is just to get the lay of the land. Drama to come. Lemons to come. Rating it M for mature themes and later chapters. Reviews are love.

Disclaimer - I don't own the hunger games. I just play with the characters.

Unalaska

**Katniss strokes her growing belly with her index finger, feeling the stir of life move inside of her for the first time. She's barely showing, though most of the village is aware of her condition. She wonders which of her husbands is the genetic parent. It doesn't matter, she supposes. She has grown to love them all, and so no matter which is responsible, her baby was conceived in love, and will be cared for by all of them. It's an unseasonably warm day, almost 45 degrees outside, and she's hot from the changes in her hormones. Kneeling by the hearth in the center of the large main room of the barrabarra, she mashes the berries she gathered earlier that day with fish and the last of their whale fat into alutiqqutigaq. She enjoys a serving as waits for her men to return home.**

Finnick arrives home first, bearing four otter pelts, and several fish, his catch of the day. He greets Katniss with a kiss then strips off his parka and outer layers and warms himself by the fire of the hearth. As a fisherman, he spends most of his day on the water, which is still quite cold. She hands him a bowl of alutiqqutigaq.

"Thank you, for cleaning the otters, Finn. I'll go preserve the fish."

"Katniss, wait." He unwraps a cloth from his arm to revealing a 6 inch gash on his shoulder. He managed to stop the bleeding, but it still needs to be treated.

Katniss makes short work of cleaning his wound. She sings to him, as she mixes a salve adding dried herbs and drops of oil. She has learned the healing arts from her mother, a skill which has made her a desirable mate. She bears the marks of her lineage on her face, a tattoo in black ink - a swirled design leading from the back of her ear across her cheek, to her chin. Not many twenty years olds have their choice in mate. But Katniss's maternal heritage has secured her the ability to choose not only one, but three of the men she saw fit to build her home and her life.

Finnick is a fisherman. When he was only fourteen, he fashioned a new kind of harpoon, a three pronged spear at the end of a long stick, which he used to slaughter his first whale. The hip bone of his conquest is now the main structure of the roof of their barrabarra, sheltering their family from the elements. Finnick wears the whiskers of a sealion in his ears, a symbol of his hunting skill in the water. Because of his rare fair coloring he is considered to be one of the most attractive people in Unalaska.

Gale is a huntsman. His ability to track and trap has ensured his family's survival in even the coldest winter. He is fearless, and has a record for bringing down bears, the skins of which are used in their home to insulate the living quarters and to add comfort to the smaller room in the back of their barrabarra. Gale has numerous tattoos and piercings marking his vast accomplishments as a huntsman. He is Katniss's second cousin, though he does not fall into the same social class as Katniss and her mother. The Aleut people draw their lineage maternally, with the honor being passed down among the women. As a male, Gale was born into relative poverty. He grew up with Katniss and she does loves him. But, when it was time for her to take a husband, she picked him out of obligation.

Peeta is a craftsman. He has a natural gift for working with wood. His baidarkas are the most beautiful and the safest boats on the water, and his decorative masks and sculptures are the most highly sought after in Unalaska. Being an artist, his skin is mostly clean. He is marked only by the piercings which signify his high social class. He has used his craft skills to fashion three sturdy beds, large enough for two, which are lined up in a row toward the back of the room, separated only by Bear pelts hanging from the roof, offering a visual divide in the sleeping quarters. Peeta is currently creating a cradle for their expectant child to sleep in. He is excited to begin a second row of beds in the sleeping area. Smaller objects, such as bowls, eating utensils, and decorations around the house have also made by his hands.

Gale arrives home, to the barrabarra just as Katniss finishes wrapping a bandage on Finn's arm.

"Get into another fish fight, Finn?" He teases. He feels a twinge of jealousy - Katniss will likely share Finn's bed this evening, to tend to his wound. Katniss disinfects her hands with a liquid in her first aid kit and begins a new task of preserving the fish as she listens to her husbands' exchange.

Finn laughs. Gales always giving him a hard time."Had trouble docking. I didn't see Peeta around."

Because of their work, Peeta and Finn spend a lot more time together and understandably share a closer bond with each other than with Gale. They both work on the water and after a particularly good fishing day, like today, Peeta helps Finn ashore and home. But today he wasn't at their usual meeting place.

"I slipped and caught my shoulder on my trident. Wait'll he gets home. I'll give him a piece of my mind" Finn continues as he finishes his meal.

"Don't blame Peeta. Where is he, anyway?" Finn shrugs. Gale continues, "Maybe you'd be stronger, better able to handle the baidarka yourself if we had some whale to boil. Or a walrus. It's been a while since you took one of those down," Gale says as he drags in a caribou, todays kill, settling it toward the front of the room, near where Katniss is working. He meets her eyes and smiles warmly. "Leave Finn alone," Katniss smiles back as she cautions Gale. "No one has had walrus or whale in months. It's too hot," she says as she wipes her brow with her arm.

"It's not that bad anyway," Finn says. He examines his arm. "I stopped the bleeding myself."

Gale drags a fingers over the markings on Katniss's face. He feels a familiar stirring in his lower abdomen. He kisses her lips gently and whispers "Where are you sleeping tonight?" She pulls away from him "Not this again."Katniss usually rotates her sleeping space every night, trying to share her warmth equally among her husbands. This has worked out until recently. Gale has been wanting her to sleep in his bed more often, since they discovered she is carrying. He drops her gaze and turns his attention to the pot in the hearth in the center of the room. He spoons out a serving of the alutiqqutigaq for himself. He sits next to Finn and watches as Katniss uses salt and parchment to preserve the fish for later use before slicing the caribou meat into small chunks meant for stew.

Gale pats Finn on the back before standing up and again walking

toward Katniss. She has just finished working with the food, when he grabs her by the hand and motions toward the small room in the back of the barrabarra. "C'mon, beautiful," he says encouraging her to follow him. Katniss gives Finnick a questioning look. Finnick nods at her and pulls out a length of rope and begins making knots. Katniss smiles at Gale. She's exhausted, but she'll deny her husbands nothing. Gale's appetite for her has become insatiable as the bump in her middle has become more evident.

They take two steps toward the back room when they hear a rustling at the front of the barrabarra. Peeta emerges from outside, dripping wet - the rain must have picked back up - and filthy. Katniss and Gale watch as Peeta steps into the large room and tosses two large pieces of ivory on the ground. They side across toward Finnick, who picks them up and examines them. "Walrus? Where did you get these, Peeta?"

Peeta drops to his knees in front of the hearth and it's clear he's hurt. Katniss releases Gale's hand, and grabs a cloth as she makes her way over to Peeta. She peels off his parka, finding a wound at the top of his left leg. "What happened?" she whispers as she begins to clean him. "Did you fight a walrus?" Peeta nods. "Where is it?"

"Ten minutes north of our meeting place," Peeta says making eye contact with Finn. "It's covered. But you should go get it before someone else finds it."

Finnick is on his feet, wincing slightly as he pulls his outer layer back on over his shoulder. "You wanted some walrus, right Gale? Let's go get it. I'll need help bringing it back here." He tosses a covered knife in Gale's direction. The two men exit, leaving Katniss and Peeta next to the hearth.

Another woman would have taken twice as long as Katniss to strip Peeta of his clothing, clean him and his wound and park him next to the fire with a large serving of alutiqqutigaq. She's done in no time. "I'll boil the blubber for you as soon as they get back. It'll help you keep your strength up," she says putting a new pot of water on the fire. "You'll need to rest for a few days." She turns her attention to the ivory on the ground. She takes a strong metal knife and holds it into the fire letting it grow red with heat before using it to cut off a piece of the ivory. She chips away at it, making a small circular ring which doesn't quite close, and puts it aside. Peeta watches her work, and he knows what's coming next. He imagines Finn will be the one to do it. Katniss has plans for the rest of the ivory, but they'll have to wait for now.

"Whats wrong?" she asks.

Peeta sighs. "I didn't hunt it. It attacked me. I was just defending myself. I don't deserve-"

"Yes, you do. It was a clean kill, wasn't it?" Peeta nods.

"Then we'll celebrate it."

"Katniss?" Peeta breathes." You love me? Real or not real?"

"Real."

They kiss deeply. Katniss sits with her arms wrapped around Peeta.

Finn and Gale return with all they could salvage from the beast. "Nice job, Peeta. One wound right through its eye," Finnick beams, handing Peeta his knife, which he had left in the beast.

"Yeah, well. It DID take a chunk out of my leg. I didn't have to aim far." Peeta laughs, still comfortable in Katniss's embrace.

"Its wasn't that big. But it's better than nothing I guess," says Gale, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Aww, is big bad Gale jealous?" Finnick purrs. Gale scoffs.

Katniss giggles. She gives Peeta one last hug before releasing him. She walks over to Finnick and hands him the ivory circle. "Let's" she suggests. Katniss slices off a piece of blubber and adds it to the water that's now boiling over the fire.

"It'll be my pleasure," says Finnick as he bends down beside Peeta. He pulls an animal skin from his parka and offers Peeta a swig of its contents. Peeta accepts, chugging the liquid heartily.

"I'm ready."

Finnick retrieves a straight, sharp piece of ivory, grabs the flesh of Peeta's bottom lip and pierces through it. As the taste of his own blood fills his mouth, Peeta tries hard not to let his pain show. Even Gale is impressed with Peeta's pain tolerance. "Your first. This shows the honor in what you have done. You will be protected from Khoughkh," Finnick says as he threads the ivory circle of Peeta's first kill through the new hole in his lip. Katniss is at his side, applying a healing ointment to the piercing. She kisses Peeta's lips. Finnick helps Peeta stand and walk toward the back room. He sets him down on the bear skins on the ground there and leaves Katniss with him. She kisses him again, and soon the sounds of their pleasure fill the air.

That night, Gale sleeps alone.


	2. Missionaries

**Authors note: I'm so happy to read your reviews and to see that people are following this story. Thank you! There's a lot of directions this can go in - hopefully you enjoy the ride.**

Questions for you:?Whose baby do you think it is? Do you care? Let me know!

Aaand...now things get kinky and dramatic. There's a lemon in there for you too. Enjoy...

Chapter 2

Its two days after Peeta made his first kill. Gale has been out hunting and Finnick out fishing since dawn. Katniss spent much of the day next to Peeta, tightly weaving small baskets while he fashioned wooden bowls and masks. Tomorrow they will make their way into the village to trade, and they both want to ensure that they will have enough supply to meet the demand of their products. Katniss mixes various salves and ointments, which she packages in her woven baskets. She weaves larger baskets to hold the meats that Finnick and Gale will trade.

Katniss has spent the last two nights in Peeta's bed, tending to the wound on his leg. She changes Finn's shoulder bandage too, but his wound wasnt very deep and it doesn't require much work. Peeta, however, is in constant pain, although he won't admit it. Katniss mashes berries and herbs together, creating a sleep elixir and feeds it to him after his midday meal.

Katniss's weaponry and jewelry-making is another reason for her high standing in Unalaksa. It's the skill that she developed herself, that wasn't taught to her by mother. The pride of the first kill is brought to her and she is commissioned to create from it. The first time she met Finnick, she was fifteen. As the village gathered by the water to celebrate the boy who bravely slaughtered the whale, she worked swiftly, abstaining from the festivities. She fashioned an earring and a handle for his trident from bone of the whale. She watched as Haymitch, an elder in the community, put the earring into his ear ceremoniously. She fell in love with Finnick that day.

Today, she is proud to finally make a weapon for Peeta. She works while he sleeps to keep her work a secret, chipping smoothing and carving the tusk of the walrus's ivory into an awl, with and intricate design carved into the side of the blade. It's some of her finest work. She intends to trade for ink to stain the crevices of the awl and later have Gale and Finnick present it to him.

Her fingers are numb, and so its time to take a break. She ventures out to the familiar patch in the woods where blueberries grow. As she collects the day's fruit, she hears a familiar voice behind her.

"Is it true? Did Peeta kill a walrus?"

She turns around, smiling at her sister.

"Yes, Little Duck. He did."

Prim wraps her arms around her and says "Thats fantastic news! You must be so proud of him!"

"Thank you. I am."

Prim still lives at home with their mother and fathers, in a barrabarra about a 30 minute journey from Katniss. Two years from now, she will turn eighteen and it will be her turn to select her husbands. So far, she only has eyes for Rory, Gale's little brother. But she knows she cannot choose him alone. Prim has also inherited their maternal lineage, and she will be expected to select mates of a certain standing. She observed Katniss's choice in Peeta. She wonders how Katniss selected such a winner. Peeta didn't look like much to her, and he had two older brothers to choose from. He was born into honor though, and Katniss saw something in him that Prim is only just beginning to understand.

"How did you know, Katniss. How did you know he could fight?"

"Oh, Prim. He's survived so much more." Katniss fell in love with Peeta when she was just 5 years old.

A thin muscular girl carrying a lance passes through the bushes. She catches Katniss's eye before disappearing into the thick of the woods.

Katniss returns to the barrabarra and puts a stew of caribou meat on the hearth. She resumes the task of weaving baskets.

When Finnick returns home, Peeta has been in a deep sleep for hours.

Katniss stands at the far end of the room, stacking the completed baskets against the wall. Still uncomfortable with the temperature, and in an effort to find comfort and relief, Katniss has removed most of her clothing. She stands on her tiptoes wearing just a tunic that reaches her mid thigh. As Finnick sets down his daily catch, he takes notice of the small bulge in her abdomen, just barely visible through the cloth she wears. The rush of emotion he feels is unlike anything else. The blood drains from his head and collects between his legs. By the time she lowers her heels to the ground, Finnick is behind her.

"You're so damn sexy," he purrs wrapping his arm around her, possessively stroking her belly, and kissing her neck. "You know, you were supposed to be with me the night Peeta killed that walrus. Don't you think I've been patient?"

She smiles. "Of course you have," Katniss says. "That's why I love you." She spins around in his arms. "Thank you for your help. And for putting Peeta's ivory in. He wouldn't have accepted it if anyone else did it." She presses herself against him and kisses the corner of his mouth, where his own ivory adornment wraps around his bottom lip.

"Don't thank me. I'm proud of Peeta. I love him. And I love you too," Finn replies and he kisses her lips. His hands roam down the sides of her body and slide underneath the tunic. He wraps around her, pulling her closer to him, feeling the shape of her. He deepens the kiss, swirling his tongue in a dance with hers. She lets out a moan and he's never wanted her more. Pulling the waistband of his pants, he presses them down past his hips, exposing his hardened flesh to her. His hands find her again and they wrap around her thighs lifting her and pressing her against the wall. "I love you," he repeats as he slides into her thrusting with strong even strokes. "I...love..," her eyes open and she finds Peeta, sitting up on his bed watching them. "...you," she finishes, never breaking eye contact with Peeta as she finds her release. She sees Peeta's eyes widen in her ecstasy. And when Finnick follows, Peeta's smile only grows wider.

Finnick lowers Katniss to the ground, still breathing heavily as she takes his hand and walks over to Peeta. Finnick's seed, mixed with her own desire is on her thighs making a light slapping sound as she walks. When she reaches Peeta's bed, he sits at the edge with his feet firmly planted on the ground. She stands between his legs, lifts her tunic over her head and tosses it onto the ground. Peeta immediately wraps his arms around her middle, putting his ear to her belly, as though he could her the heartbeat of their unborn child.

"Can you feel it, Peeta?" Katniss asks. "We made that. Together." She gives Finnick's hand a reassuring squeeze, telling him what he already knows - that "we" includes him.

Finnick lets go of Katniss's hand as Peeta wordlessly pulls her down onto to the bed and lays her on her back. He presses his hardness into her moist folds and sighs in relief. She's wet, and Peeta doesn't care that the fluids causing him to moan her name are both hers and Finnick's. In fact, he makes eye contact with Finnick, who lays on the bed beside them, watching them, feeling the rhythm of the pleasure they both enjoy. Peeta reaches his peak as Finnick leans in and eagerly kisses Katniss.

After a few minutes, they redress in their undergarments and lie together. The men are on either side of her and they are both staring at her belly with each breath she takes. They are peaceful and happy.

Their thoughts wander to Gale moments before he enters the barrabarra with uncleaned game in his hands. He takes in their sight, smells the sex in the air, and announces that he will be outside cleaning his kill.

"Go talk to him, Katniss. Something is wrong," says Peeta.

"We'll be here. In case you want us," Finnick adds.

Katniss pulls her hair into a messy braid and dresses in the discarded tunic and an overcoat. She finds Gale outside. It's foggy and dark, and he uses a single torch to light his work. She stands for a minute watching him. He knows she's there. She breaks the silence.

"Are you hungry? I made a stew." she asks.

The knife in his hand stills. "Do you do that a lot? Take them both on I mean."

Her eyes widen at the disgust in his voice. "Actually, no," she answers honestly. "That was the first. And. We didn't. Not the way you're thinking anyway."

"Well I wish you would use the back room in the future. I don't need to see it."

She can't believe what she's hearing. "I'm not hiding anything. From any of you. The back room is for our comfort, it's not where love making is restricted to."

He shrugs. "Ours has been."

"Ours? Gale, when I make love to one of you, I make love to all of you."

Gale considers her words. He doesn't agree. "Well, how about when you're fucking two of us?" he snaps, tossing entrails onto the ground and spitting beside them.

"Fucking?"

"Yes. Fucking. That's what I call having sex with two men at once. Fucking. I've seen drawings of how it goes. Never thought you'd be into that."

She takes a step toward him and squats down next to him.

"Why are you really mad? I didn't mean to leave you out. If you were home, we would have included you. You know that, right? I wanted you there. I thought about you. About how you touched me yesterday. How you were so deep inside of me. I get wet just thinking about you. Make love to me again, Gale. I love you."

"Katniss," he sighs. "I have loved you with my whole heart. And you..." his eyes won't meet hers "have loved me with a third of yours."

"That's not fair," she replies.

"Nothing about this is fair. Not to me. I share my home, my food, my woman. What do you give up for me?"

Her eyes harden. Her tone is serious. "You know what I have given up for you. What we all have."

It's true. Selecting Gale as her husband has had serious repercussions for her and her other husbands in their community. Peeta lost business, and Finnick has taken on extra work, since Gale drops off half his daily kill at his mother's place, feeding her and his 4 siblings. Peeta and Finnick have given up power and prestige. And they didn't resent this, because Katniss loves Gale. And they love Katniss.

"Why don't you love me like you love them?" Gale asks, his resolve broken with Katniss's last words.

"You taught me to hunt. You wanted to marry me and then you did. You make love to me like no one else does. You're my friend, my lover, father of my unborn child. Of course I love you." She turns his chin to her forcing his eyes to meet hers. "I love them too. Differently, and the same." She presses her lips to his. They open their mouths and deepen the kiss for a moment. Only for a moment. Katniss's eyes fly open in surprise as he pulls away.

"You taste like them," Gale says flatly.

"...and you. You taste like-"

"Her name is Johanna."

Katniss stands up, backing away from him slowly. "Who the fuck is Johanna?"

"She's ...a girl I see in the woods sometimes. She hunts. Today, I messed up and I was ...with her. Only, when I came home, it didn't feel as much like a mistake as it did before."

"You cheated on me?"

"What about Finn? With that girl Annie down by the water?!"

"I know all about Annie. They dont...that's not what that is. And even if it were, thats not what this is about. You betrayed me. Betrayed us!" Katniss struggles to keep her voice even.

"No more than you, Katniss. What did I just walk in on? Hmm? Looked to me like you were tag teamed and you fucking loved it."

"What you walked in on was a healthy expression of love in the sanctity of marriage, one you should've been a part of! But instead you were busy out fucking 'Johanna.' That's what I call 'fucking!'" She spins on her heel, and walks back inside.

Gale gives chase. "There's nothing healthy about this," he gestures around the room. "The missionaries on the other side of town. They said we're meant to be with one person. One other person for life! I realized I barely have part of you."

Katniss sighs. She's heard the missionaries, Christians from another part of the world who arrived recently. They told her she was wrong to have three husbands, that her way of life was punishable in the eyes of their higher power. She chooses her next words carefully and speaks slowly. "The monogamy they speak of, it isn't our way. Generations of Everdeens worked, fought, bled, and died so that you and I could enjoy the life we have now. Did you think about the long term effects of what you've done Gale? If this gets out I'll have to leave you. I should leave you. And if I do, who will take care of your Mother? And did you think about Rory? Prim wants to claim him as a husband. Now she can't. And it's your fault."

Gale takes notice of Finnick and Peeta moving toward them. "Katniss, can we please do this in private?"

"This IS in private, dumbass! How could you do this? We have a baby on the way."

"Maybe."

"What the hell does that mean?" she asks, her heart beating out of her chest.

"It means right now, YOU have a baby on the way. We have no idea whose seed that is."

Katniss drops to her knees by the hearth, with her hand on her belly willing her breathing to even out. Peeta kneels beside her placing his hand over hers. Finnick stands behind them with his hand on their shoulders.

Gale takes a step toward them. "Thats not what I meant. Katniss, I'm s-"

"Leave," she whispers. Now."


	3. Allíthuh

Author's note: Whoo! Gale! That was fucked up, huh? Thanks for following, favoriting, and leaving your reviews and opinions! I'm truly appreciative. I'll take it all into consideration when it comes time to identify the father. When that time comes,I wonder who the crowd favorite will be.

So, based on the missionary presence, this story is set in the 18th century. Gale is being courted by members of the Russian orthodox church.

Ok, so now a little backstory, then its time to move the plot forward. Theres a lot conflicting info in the history books. So just roll with this next bit. I'm going somewhere with it. Assume this is where old Alaska and Panem cross, okay? Okay? Thanks, y'all.

Onward!

Chapter 3

The day Katniss fell in love with Peeta was not a happy day. At the age of 5, Peeta was not yet trusted with learning his family's craft, and was given small tasks to help things along, such as sanding and sorting. Peeta's mother, Martha, reluctantly passed down her skillset to her boys. She made no secret of the fact that she hated her luck. Her 2 useless husbands sired 3 uselss boys, and no girls. She had no one to carry on her legacy, or her name. No one to maintain her honor. At best, she could only hope that a woman from a desirable family, like the Everdeens or the Undersees would marry one of them. Even then, she assumed it would be out of pity. Martha picked up a piece of wood plank from the pile that she asked Peeta to sand. Her right index finger slid along the side causing her to wince slightly as it splintered into her skin. Her annoyance turned instantly to fury as she gripped the wood tighter, digging the splinter deeper into her finger, and went searching for her son.

She found Peeta, playing with the Everdeen girl by the water. Watching them skip rocks across the water surface, Martha became enraged. How dare he be so carefree! He smiled his widest, as the girl giggled and twirled her two braids through her fingers. Peeta reached out and smoothed her hair out of her face, and Martha watched as the girl blushed. She was instantly angry at the Everdeen girl and made a mental note to speak with her mother about her flirting and giving false hope to wretched little boys.

Martha approached the two at the water's edge. She wordlessly knocked Peeta to the ground and stood over him digging the jagged piece of wood into his forehead, drawing blood as he looked up at her, eyes welling with tears. Katniss screamed.

"You were supposed to sand this, you worthless thing! The whole pile is trash now." Martha lifted the piece of wood and brought it down hard on his chest. Peeta yelped and Katniss listened in horror to the sound of his bones cracking. Katniss crawled over to Peeta, tossing herself over him, protecting his body with her own.

"Stop! Stop! Don't hurt him!" Katniss sobbed.

"Move, child!

"No! I love him!" Katniss screamed.

Martha narrowed her eyes at the girl, who still laid over Peeta as he rolled onto his side and coughed and choked. "Then you'll marry him," Martha said to the little girl. It wasn't a question.

Though only 5 years old, Katniss had already begun her training in the healing arts. "I'll protect you," she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek before tending to his injuries. She was certain at least 2 of his ribs were broken.

Martha left them on the beach, and immediately went to the Everdeen house bearing the traditional gifts, eager to seal the deal. By the time Katniss dragged Peeta to her barrabarra for her mothers help, they were officially engaged. Peeta stayed at the Everdeens home until his ribs were healed.

"One down. Two left to marry off," Martha thought to herself as she travelled home.

Xoxoxoxo

Finnick reluctantly left at dawn to get some last minute hunting done down by the water. He was low on otter pelts, and hoped to catch a few more before meeting Peeta and Katniss in the village center to trade. Peeta had spent the past 3 days home resting, so Finnick trusted that he would be well enough to get them there in one piece.

Finnick stands, otters in hand, looking out over the water as he hears footsteps approach.

"Where did you go?" he asks, not turning around. He knows who it is.

"I slept in the woods. I couldn't face anyone," Gale replies. "How is she?"

"I'm not sure to get to ask that right now," Finnick replies. He shakes his head "What were you thinking?"

Gale sighs. "I wasn't thinking. I was... I just wanted more. Don't you ever want more from her?"

"No. She gives me everything I could've hoped for. I love her. And Peeta. And you. Though right now, I may kill you." Finnick says. There's a promise in his voice.

"What about Annie?" Gale asks.

"What ABOUT Annie?" Finn counters.

"Do you love her?"

Finnick drops the otters to his feet. "Annie needs me. To protect her. Katniss doesn't need me for protection. She and Peeta protect each other."

Gale feels it again. That twinge of jealousy. He finds his voice. "I protect her."

Finnick sighs. "Do you love Katniss?"

"Yes. Of course."

Finnick smiles softly. "None of us are new here, Gale. She spent years falling in love with us. And part of loving her is accepting that you won't be all things to her. Peeta protects, I provide and you..." Gale holds his breath. "You keep her grounded." Gale exhales, releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding.

Finnick continues "Katniss is my wife. I've loved her since I was 14. She cares for me, provides for me, bears my child. Annie... is mad. We all know it. She needs someone, and I can be there for her. But, she could never be what Katniss is. Never take her place. I love Annie with my head, not my heart."

"And you body?" Gale questions.

"Belongs to Katniss."

"I saw you with her last night, both of you. And. I just lost it," Gale admits.

"But that wasn't it, was it? You were with that girl before you got home. And what is it you think you saw, exactly? No one has been unfaithful to you." Finnick takes out a cloth and wipes the blood from his trident.

"It seemed that way. I didn't, though. Have sex with Johanna, I mean. I wanted to. I almost did. It went farther than I should have let it. But something brought me home." Gale sighs. "I alluded to it, I didn't deny it when Katniss accused me either. I let her think I did, because I wanted to hurt her. The way I felt hurt."

Finnick turns and meets his eyes for the first time. "How do you feel when I touch her? When I kiss her? When I make love to her? What about her being with me, being with Peeta is upsetting to you?" Finnick queries.

Gale considers whether the telling truth is the best course of action here. It didn't go so well when he tried to tell Kantiss last night. He shrugs, figures he doesn't have anything left to lose.

"I think. I think that maybe the missionaries are right. That we should be paired off in couples. That their deity might be real." Gale says sheepishly.

"The missi-" Finnick shakes his head. "And so you would break her heart, and demand your share. Deny me and Peeta the happy life we've earned. Make our child suffer a broken home. Because of stories that a stranger told you? Those stories don't even make any sense!" Finnick collects his things from the ground. Looking toward the trees, he sees a feminine figure in the distance. She has dark hair and she's carrying a lance. When she meets Finnick's gaze, she disappears behind a nearby tree.

"They mean to break us apart. But, it's not too late for you to fix this, Gale," he whispers. Gale follows his gaze to the tree line. The girl is out of sight, but they both know she's there.

"For our baby." Finnick finishes.

Finnick walks away, headed in the direction of the village. Gale watches him until his figure disappears out of sight.

"Hello, gorgeous." Johanna says, standing behind Gale.

Gale turns around and she stands on tip toes, pressing her lips to his. "I missed you. Why'd you take off like that?" she breathes against his lips.

Gale pulls away. "We were about to do something-"

"Amazing?!" Johanna interrupts.

"Problematic," Gale corrects. "I'm sorry."

"I don't understand this hot and cold thing you're doing. Don't you want me?" she presses against him.

"Yes, Jo. But, I think.. I want my family more."

Johanna frowns at him. "You still love her, don't you? That brainless girl."

"Yes." Gale surprises himself. "She might be. I mean. She is. She's the mother of my child."

"That's not what you said yesterday."

"I know." he gaze is downcast. "Look, Johanna. I can't see you. I've got to fix this with Katniss. And you'll marry soon. I almost took something from you I could never give back."

"I don't want to marry them. I didn't pick them. Our families decided this."

"You should give Chaff and Brutus a chance. They may love you. You may grow to love them."

"What about being with one person, who's just for you?"

"I'm still confused, i'll admit. But. Maybe it's enough to love someone without being everything to them."

With that, Gale turns. He doesn't wait for her acceptance, or any reply. He simply follows Finn's tracks toward the center of the village.

The community is bustling, alive with trade. Katniss has successfully traded her healing ointment for ink, rare plants, alcohol and chocolate. She works to fashion an earring from the horn of a caribou for a hunter in exchange for salt. Peeta has been commissioned to make two baidarkas, and has successfully traded all of his masks. Finnick is officially out of otter pelts and only two preserved fish remain in his basket. Even without Gale's share of game meats, the day has been successful. Katniss finds no joy, however. She merely floats through the day. It's all a blur to her.

It's nearly midday when Gale makes his way to the village center. He's just in time to see the people gathering, waiting for something. Snow, the village chief, has an announcement. Gale tries to find his family among the crowd, but they're lost in the sea of people. He runs into Haymitch, and stands next to him while they wait for the announcement.

"Whats the matter, boy? Why do you all look like death?" Haymitch asks, alcohol heavy on his breath.

"It's been a long ass night Haymitch."

"Not too much trouble in paradise I hope. We need families like yours strong right now. I have a feeling we won't like what's coming." Haymitch takes a swig from his animal skin.

Gale blushes.

Snow stands atop a makeshift stage. To everyone's surprise, missionaries, dressed in white and holding books accompany him. They distribute them among the crowd. Bibles. They're passing out bibles.

"This is an exciting time, allíthuh! Today, we safeguard our future. Some of you will be lucky enough to see a new land. To travel to Russia, to see the place from which these kind and marvelous people came. You will become a part of their community, live by their rules. The names of the lucky will be reaped in a drawing next week. They will leave us, and begin a new life. You are all eligible, but only 100 will be lucky enough to take this journey. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor." Snow exits the stage without another word. Guarded by missionaries, he is whisked from the city center with questions hanging on everyone's lips.

Outrage sets in as silence fades. The people demand to know more. They begin to yell at Snow, at each other. It's not long before push comes to shove and the village center is a mosh pit of confusion and anger. Peeta grabs ahold of Katniss and runs, carrying her away from the crowd cradled in his arms. Gale spots Finnick as he gathers up their belongings. Gale approaches him, and wordlessly helps, hoisting bundles onto his back and together they push through the crowd to the other side of the village and head back toward the barrabarra.

Finnick and Gale walk swiftly and silently. They arrive home to find Katniss sobbing in Peeta's arms just outside the entrance to the barrabarra . Gale feels his "fight or flight" instinct kick in. He isn't sure whether to stay, if Katniss wants to see him. He freezes. Gale watches as Finnick, her provider, drops his bundles, the goods for which they have just traded, at their side and wraps his arms around Peeta, comforting them both. But Katniss still sobs uncontrollably. Gale slowly approaches them, turning his gaze to Peeta, her protector, giving him a questioning look. Peeta holds Gale's gaze, and whispers inaudibly in Katniss's ear. Her head lifts and her eyes widen when she sees Gale. Gale joins the huddle, embracing his wife and his family. Within moments, she quiets, grounded by Gale. They sit together, holding this embrace, terrified of what may come.


	4. Reaping

**Authors note: Thanks for sticking around y'all. I'm happy that so many of you are along for the ride. I'm continuing this mash up of Alaska and Panem - I'm adapting the story of Amchikta island, and the Aleut revolt - and I'm adding a reaping from the hunger games universe. Whatever. I do what I want. **

**I own nothing. I'm just playing around.**

Katniss is only 4-5 months preggo, so still taking bets on who her baby daddy is.

To answer your questions, the meanings of the Aleut words (according to my Internet sources) I've included into this story are:

Allíthuh - the Aleut community

Barrabarra - the half underground structure inhabited by families

Alutiqqutigaq - a traditional Aleut dish made of berries, fish, and fat

Baidarka - an Aleut boat, similar to a kayak

Anax- mother

Khoughkh - evil spirit

See, learning is fun!

Enjoy...

Chapter 4

Its been nearly a week since Snow's announcement, and the tension in the allíthuh has become palpable.

The upcoming reaping is all anyone can talk about. Well, that and the potential fall from grace of one of the oldest and strongest households in Unalaska. The Everdeen home has been the preferred topic of conversation, a welcome change to gossip from the looming doom. The news of Gale's indiscretions with Johanna have circulated and morphed in a twisted game of telephone. Johanna spread the rumors herself, doubly motivated by Gale's rejection of her, and her desire to sabotage her upcoming nuptials. She lit the fuse of a fire that spread quicker than she could have ever imagined.

It was still dark outside the morning after the announcement, when Gale stirred in his bed. He opened his eyes to find Peeta's usually electric blue orbs dark and staring directly into him. His face was hard, his breathing was heavy, and Gale wondered just how long Peeta had been sitting there seething, waiting for him to get up. Gale quietly gathered a few of his things, and wordlessly left the barrabarra. By the time Katniss woke up, he was already at his mother's house. She was relieved. As much as she needed Gale in the wake of the announcement and the chaos of the riot, she was just as comforted by his absence that morning.

Katniss had to consider the possibility of Gale's permanent absence. If he stayed, the "scarlet A" on Gale's chest would make her other husbands pariahs. She, herself would lose her status and her business, and her mother and sister would feel the rippling effects: The Everdeen name would be soiled and Prim's husband choices would be limited to men from the lower social classes. In order to maintain their social standing, the two Everdeen households would have to officially cut ties with the Hawthornes. The Hawthorne house has relied on assistance from both Everdeen houses, and would suffer with this course of action. Gale's only honorable option would be to marry Johanna, if she's willing to take him - she already has two fiancées she doesn't want, and to continue to support his mother. Even then, without the promise of marrying up for any of the remaining Hawthorne males, it was not likely the Hawthorne house would thrive.

Tension on the island has increased further with the Russian visitors, due to their inability to honor their trade arrangements. Finnick had arranged to trade a dozen otter pelts in exchange for rope, and a few other necessities. The men took his pelts, and when Finnick arrived at the agreed upon meeting point to collect his goods, they simply reneged on their agreement. Not enough supply to satisfy demand, they claimed. But they kept his otter pelts. Since trading day, stories of trades turned sour with the Russians have increased.

Katniss is numb. Ever since Finnick clarified the details of Gale's indiscretion, she's retreated into herself. The fact that Gale didnt have actual intercourse with Johanna did little to ease her pain. Gale had still cheated, the allíthuh still found out, and she was still in a difficult position. Peeta and Finnick do their best to comfort her, tending to the housework, allowing her rest, and offering her physical love often. But her heart is broken.

Haymitch has heard the rumors. He also noticed Gale wandering around the poor side of the village. He grabs a fresh animal skin canteen, and makes his way toward the Everdeen's barrabarra. Peeta is outside, smoothing out the long side of a baidarka when Haymitch approaches him.

"Hello, boy. Is the lady of the house home?"

"Yes, she's inside." Peeta brushes the sawdust from his hands and stands. "Katniss? Kat, we have company!" he yells.

Katniss is on her hands and knees, panting quietly as Finnick slides in and out of her. She doesn't respond to Peeta.

"Let's give them a minute." Haymitch smiles knowingly. He could hear the sounds coming from the inside of the barrabarra on his approach. "She's been keeping you extra busy, huh?"

Peeta runs a hand through his hair. "She doesnt have anything to prove to us. I think she's just trying to hold herself together. Good things there's two of us." Peeta reaches his arms above his head and leans to the left stretching his side. He's happy Finn has taken over. He's exhausted.

"Oh, to be young again," Haymitch muses. Peeta smiles.

A moment later Finnick emerges and gestures for the men to join them inside. Haymitch thanks him, and hands him the animal skin as he enters their home.

"Haymitch, welcome. We didn't expect you so soon," Katniss says and she hands him a bowl of fresh alutiqqutigaq.

He accepts her offering. "I've come to see if I can be of any help. Where is your husband?"

"The people involved in this decision are all in this room." Katniss says shortly.

"I see. So, how true are the rumors?" Haymitch asks.

"True enough," says Finn. He's poured the contents of the animal skin into three small wooden cups. He offers some to Peeta, who is sitting beside Katniss before taking his own seat next to Haymitch. They raise their cups and drink together.

"Do you understand what your options are?" Haymitch asks Katniss.

"I understand that I have no options." Katniss mutters. Peeta puts his hand over hers. "That's not true. We'll support whatever decision you make." Peeta may support her decision, but he still wants the beat the hell out of Gale.

"We've discussed this. I won't let another selfish decision tear this family further apart." Katniss says staring into his eyes. "I have to protect you." She turns her gaze to Finn "Us." she continues, moving her eyes toward Haymitch. "The Everdeen household is my primary responsibility. My mother's home will be affected by my decision too. I won't hurt them." With that, her decision is final. She has chosen to leave Gale.

Dissolution of marriage is rare. So rare, in fact, that there is no standard protocol for infidelities like this - the effects of which ripple out through three households and two social classes. To put it simply, Gale fucked up. And now Katniss has to clean it up. She still loves him, still needs him, but mending her broken heart doesn't take precedence.

"Okay then." Haymitch says. "I'm sorry about all this. But soon, it will all be taken care of. I'll handle it myself." He smiles. Katniss tries to return a smile but it doesn't meet her eyes. It's tight lipped and forced. Haymitch feels bad for making her put forth the effort. He nods to Peeta and Finnick before leaving.

Haymitch is ten paces away from the Everdeen barrabarra when he hears the sounds of Katniss's husbands soothing her broken heart resume.

The day of the reaping, the allíthuh gathers again in the center village. Katniss stands between Peeta and Finnick, stroking her growing belly with her index finger. They stand toward the back of the center, where they can easily and safely escape the crowd, should that become necessary. The missionaries wish people good luck and again offer bibles to the crowd. The tone is somber as Effie, another elder, pulls slips of paper with the names of each person from a large wooden bowl and reads them aloud with an enthusiasm not shared by anyone else. She doesn't notice, she continues to congratulate each selected person. One by one, sobs are released into the air. The gravity of the situation takes hold, as men women and even children are called, soon to be separated from their families. When Effie pulls a slip from the bowl and happily calls out "Gale Everdeen," Katniss faints.

The boats leave at dawn. The chosen will have the evening to spend with their families before they are to report to the large ships along the water.

Finnick wasn't the only one whose business was affected by bad trades with the Russians. The night of the reaping, several hundred Aleuts stormed the Russians houses. The mob yelled objections to the reaping, the botched trades, and the general drain of supplies they feel the Russian presence has been. Snow was among them, and he watched - even condoned it- as the Russians opened fire on the mob, causing the people to panic and scatter. There were no casualties, but there were many injuries. The outraged were urged to comply with the terms of the reaping, under penalty of death.

Katniss paces the floor.

"Where is he?" she asks no one in particular.

"He'll be here, " Finnick assures her.

Peeta wraps his arms around her. "Sit down. Please. You're doing too much and stressing yourself out." His eyes are soft as he begs Katniss to listen to him.

Before she can sit, she hears rustling at the entrance of the barrabarra.

Gale appears, with his eyes red rimmed. He's had a hell of a day. Haymitch came to see him only hours before the reaping. He knew his marriage was over, though it was not yet official. "I'm so sorry." Gale says as he extends him arms to her. Katniss walks over to him, and allows him to envelop her. Her breathing is heavy and she opens her mouth to say something. "Shhh, Katniss. I have made such a mess of things. But it's going to be okay. This is what's best for everyone." It's true. If there is a silver lining, it's that with Gale in Russia, the Hawthornes and the Everdeens will escape the the unpleasantness of official the dissolution of their marriage. Gale knows. Katniss knows. She is relieved as her heart breaks again.

"I'll make you proud, you know. I'll work, and even send you packages of that chocolate you love so much."

Katniss giggles. "And Vodka for the guys?"

He nods. "And vodka for the guys," Gale promises. He smiles at Finnick and Peeta. Finnick returns the smile.

Katniss wraps her hand around Gale's head and pulls him to kiss her. It's deep and passionate and meant to convey the things she feels, but cannot say: I'll miss you, and I forgive you. Gale slides his hands down the side of her body and brushes his fingertips across her abdomen. "Anax," Gale whispers into Katniss's ear, then he kisses her lips again. Peeta's makes fists at his sides, as he watches Gale stoke the life he disowned just last week with barely contained rage. If the marriage were to officially come to an end as Katniss intended, Gale would have no claim to this child. Katniss breaks the kiss, placing her hand on Gale's and looks into his eyes with a question. "I didn't mean it. Please forgive me," he whispers. Tears stream down his face, as Gale hugs her again.

Finnick puts a hand on Peeta's shoulder. "Let's take a walk," he suggests. Peeta shakes his head, eyes still stuck on Gale. "A short walk," Finnick insists. Katniss turns to Peeta. She knows he hates the idea leaving her alone with Gale. But, he'll just have to suck it up. "We'll be fine, Peeta," she says.

Finnick pulls Peeta outside. Gale and Katniss hear their conversation as they get farther away from the barrabarra.

"Fuck him, he'd better not touch her." Peeta grumbles.

"That's up to Katniss." Finnick says calmly.

"Better not leave him alone with me. I'll kick his..." Their voices fade into the night.

"Guess I know where I stand with Peeta." Gale says to Katniss, still holding her in his arms.

"You hurt us," she deadpans.

"I know. And I hate myself for it. I'll spend the rest of my life-"

"No, Gale you won't." Katniss sighs "And we don't want you to. Before they reaped you, you were interested in their way of life. You'll have the opportunity to see things first hand now."

"I'm going to miss so much."

"You'll miss just as much if you stay," she says honestly.

"I didn't just want monogamy you know. I want it with you," he smiles sadly, and traces his finger across the markings on her face.

"You know that could never happen. Certainly not from where we are now. Things were about to get real ugly, real fast."

Gale drops his gaze to the ground. "I know."

"We'll take care of your mother, you know. Prim will marry Rory. We'll be okay here. You just worry about you. I hope you find happiness, Gale. I love you. And I'm letting go," she says, finally releasing the tears she was fighting.

Gale kisses her again. She eagerly returns it and they wrap their arms around each other, and let their hands explore each others bodies. Their breathing quickens, and they're both so emotionally charged, they know this will escalate quickly. Gale has just grabbed the waistband of his pants, when he hears Peeta clear his throat behind them.

"Katniss, you'd better come out here. Now." he says urgently. He runs back outside, without another word. He didn't seem angry...but something is definitely wrong. She can hear the growing commotion outside of her door.

She backs away from Gale and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. She turns her ear toward the entrance of the barrabarra and she hears the moans and screams outside. "Oh my god'" she panics, and she grabs her first aid kit.

She exits their domicile to find a large group of injured men. Peeta and Finnick know the drill, and they've already triaged the men into a line outside the barrabarra. "What the hell happened?" she asks as she bends down to examine the first man's calf, which has a small circular hole in it. Bullet wounds. Shes never treated bullet wounds before.

"We're not sure, something about Snow and the Russians. Haymitch brought them here. We told them you'd help some and sent those who could walk over to your mother's." Peeta explains.

"I'm going to need some help. Finn, can you boil water?"

"I'm on it," he says, retrieving the large round pots used solely for healing purposes. Peers has already got a fire kindling in the outside pit.

"There's more coming!" Peeta says, looking over his shoulder.

"I'll take them to your mother's" Gale interjects. Katniss makes eye contact with him and nods, before returning to her work. Gale leads the latest wave of injured away.

Katniss works through the night. She removes the small metal pieces from the men's bodies, cleans their wounds, and treats them with a topical antibiotic ointment. She's nearly out of supplies. She never sees groups of injured this large and some of her trades fell through too, leaving to to work with what she has on hand. The humidity rises and little drops of dew are just starting to collect on the leaves as her exhaustion finally catches up with her. The men have all been tended too, and she serves the remaining too injured to move a broth to keep warm in the cool morning air. Finnick has been asleep inside for an hour. She and Peeta are about to retire inside, when Gale arrives.

"How many did you treat?" he asks.

"A dozen. How many did Prim and mother have?" Katniss replies.

"Um...around 30...maybe 40."

"Shit."

"They had a lot more help. My brothers came by and even Haymitch stayed to help out, once they fixed him up. And they're not pregnant. You should get some rest."

"What about you? Big day, man." Peeta chimes in.

"Yeah. Well. I think I'm just going to go watch the sunrise. Who knows if I'll ever get to see it here again," Gale answers. He shakes his head and meets Peeta's eyes. "I'm scared, Peeta. Not for me. I'll take what's coming my way. But what the hell is going on here? All these wounded. They say the Russians did it. I don't know where they're taking us. Or why Snow is letting them. I don't know if it's safe here."

Peeta considers his words. He's come to the same conclusion. That they're all in a danger they don't quite understand yet.

"Just...take care of her," Gale requests.

"I will. You take care of yourself." Peeta replies.

Peeta opens his arms and hugs Gale, patting him on the back. They pull away and nod to each other. Katniss kisses Gale on the cheek and whispers "Goodbye." The birds begin their songs in the trees as Gale walks away into the unknown, never knowing if he'll see them again.


	5. Awl

**Awww! Check y'all out, being all supportive. Seriously thank you all. I'm trying to update quickly. Here's a long chapter for you. More backstory, a little underage Everlark smut, and then we'll move the plot forward.**

I don't own anything, the characters are just my playthings.

Chapter 5

The day Katniss agreed to marry Gale, she also lost her innocence. At the age of 14, she had already been engaged to Peeta for 9 years. Though they didn't live together, they spent most of their days together, side by side sanding wood and weaving baskets. Every so often, Gale would invite her to join him to hunt. Peeta missed her those days, but it gave him a chance to catch up on the work he found himself distracted from when she's around. Though his mother hadn't raised a hand to him since their engagement, Peeta still did his best to behave and stay on top of his work.

Katniss and Gale went into the woods to hunt caribou. They met in their usual spot, armed with qilumitautit that Katniss had carved herself. They hiked together, moving quickly and silently as the hunters they are. They laid prone next to each other in the thick of the trees, covered by leaves, as they patiently waited for their prey. They were silent so long, Katniss thought Gale dozed off.

"That boy with the weird harpoon. I don't like him," Gale whispers.

"Shhh...wait, what?" Katniss whispered back.

"I don't like him," Gale repeated.

"Why not?"

"He talks too damn much."

"That's not an answer, Gale. I think he's nice. And clever too. He made that harpoon you know. He calls it a trident."

Gale scoffed. And then he suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. "Do you like him?"

"Yeah, I like him," she said.

"No I mean. Do you like like him?"

Katniss turned to meet his eyes. "I don't really know him."

"Well, he likes you."

Katniss frowned. "How do you know?"

"I heard him talking about you. Says he's gonna have to do something big to impress you." Gale used his fingers to draw circles in the dirt in front of them. "I think he wants to marry you."

"Well, I don't want to marry him," Katniss said defiantly.

"Who do you want to marry then?"

Katniss smiles at the thought. "Peeta, of course."

"No one else?"

Katniss's eyes wandered in a circle as she went through the roster of eligible partners in her mind. "Nope!" she finally let out.

"Well. What about me?" Gale asked sheepishly.

Katniss giggled. "You don't want to marry me."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't like Peeta."

"So? I wouldn't have to marry Peeta. Just you."

"You'd have to live with him though. And work with him on building us a barrabarra big enough for us and all our children. You'd have to share a life with him."

Gale considers her words, and nods his head in understanding. Katniss had an interesting grasp of the situation, even at her young age. She was quite mature.

"I love you. Did you know that?"

She smiled. "I love you too."

"No. I mean. I love you. Like Peeta loves you."

"No one loves me like Peeta loves me." She may have been mature, but she could still put her foot in her mouth.

"Did he tell you that?" Gale asked with an eyebrow raised. Katniss nodded.

"Well, he's wrong. I can prove it to you if you want."

"How?" Then again, maybe she wasn't that mature. She walked right into that one.

"Let me kiss you." Gale leaned in before Katniss had a chance to consider her answer, and kissed her lips. She pulled away and looked at him in disbelief. Her gaze dropped from his eyes, to his lips and suddenly they were on her again. "Open your mouth," Gale whispered against her lips. Katniss turned away. Only Peeta had kissed her like that. She suddenly missed him so much.

She closed her eyes and felt Gale kiss her cheek. "I love you, Katniss. I want to marry you," he whispered. She turned her head back to him. When he kissed her this time, she let him. When he asked again, she opened her mouth and let him explore her with his tongue. It's was different than Peeta, but nice in its own way. "Let me marry you, Katniss," Gale said and he trailed kisses from her chin down her neck.

"Okay, Gale. Marry me."

"Really?" he asked, dragging his tongue across her skin.

"Yes."

Gale rolled her onto her back and kissed her deeper. He eagerly brought his palm to her pants, and rubbed her over her sensitive area once, then again before sliding his hands into the fabric at the waist. She popped up onto her elbows in surprise as he slid his middle finger into her. He sighed "Fuck, you're so tight." Katniss let out little gasps with each exhale as Gale pumped his finger in and out of her.

Gale added a second finger and pushed further into her."Ouch! Stop!" Katniss gasped and Gale withdrew his fingers from her. They were tinged red, coated in her blood. "I'm so sorry, " he whispered. He held his fingers out for her to see.

"Holy shit!" Katniss panicked. "I have to go."

Katniss ran back toward the village. She passed the center of the allituth and reached the edge of the water on the other side. "Peeta!" she yelled, searching frantically for her fiancé. "Peeta!?" she called again. "Katniss?" he called back, as he pulled a baidarka ashore and secured it to a wooden post. "Kat, what's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you," she panted. "Right now."

"Okay..."

"Not here. In private."

Peeta searched her face, unable to decipher the cocktail of emotions written across it. "Alright. Let's go to my place. No ones home. C'mon," he said, he grabbed her hand and they walked to his place, without another word. Once safely inside, he spoke. "What's going on, Katniss. Are you okay?"

Katniss wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. She tugged his hair and rubbed the back of his neck, hitting each one one his triggers she'd already discovered. She yanked his shirt over his head and kissed and sucked the skin of his neck. She moved urgently and quickly and when she began to remove her own clothing, Peeta came to his senses. "What are you doing?" Her shirt fell discarded on the ground.

"I want you." she says, tugging at his pants.

"You have me...Katniss stop. What's wrong?" he questioned and grabbed ahold of her wrists, stilling her movements.

She twisted her wrists free of his grip and removed her pants kicking them to the side. "I want you now, Peeta. It has to be now." Her voice cracked.

Peeta sat down on his bed and motioned for her to join him. "Why, Katniss?" he asked. "Why does it have to be now?" He was afraid of her response. Katniss held Peeta's gaze as she slid her index finger across her thigh slowly and dragged it up to her center. She paused as his eyes widened. She took a deep breath, then she slid her finger in between her folds and pulled it away, covered in blood. She kneeled in front of Peeta and extended her finger to him. Peeta looked at the red fluid on her finger for a long moment before finding her eyes again. His breathing quickened as he began to understand. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "It has to be you, Peeta. And it has to be now." She moved closer to him, and angled her chin up toward him, afraid he would reject her. His eyes welled up with tears as they stared into each other. After what seemed like forever, Peeta leaned forward and kissed her, sadly yet passionately. He pulled her to him as he deepened the kiss. A tear streamed down his cheek, reaching their lips and she pulled away when she tasted the salty sadness she caused him. "Please, Peeta. Make me yours," she begged. Peeta grabbed her shoulders, rolled onto the bed, and placed her on her back. He nestled himself between her legs and kicked off his pants. His flesh was hardened as he positioned himself at her entrance. He hovered over her, and stared at her with still watery eyes.

He pushed into her slowly, not quite knowing what to expect. He held his breath as another inch of him disappeared into her. She gasped in pain as he met her natural resistance. He stopped, and they both laughed quietly in relief. "Oh, thank god." she whispered. "I'm yours." Peeta smiled, then pushed further into her, enjoying the sound of her pained yelps as her body stretched to accommodate him for the first time. When he finally could go no further he whispered back "Yes. You're mine."

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

It's late afternoon when Katniss finally wakes up. By now the ships are long gone. She's out of tears anyway. So she stands and exits the barrabarra to go check on the makeshift infirmary set up outside. She's happy to see that many of her patients are gone, having been either well enough to leave on their own or collected by their loved ones. She finds Peeta stirring broth for the remaining three men and Finnick sitting next to an older gentleman discussing something he seems to find very interesting. She kisses Peeta, and he hands her three bowls of broth, which she distributes with a smile.

"I'm going to go gather up some wood I left down by the water. I'll be back by sundown," Peeta says. Katniss nods and as soon as he's out of sight, she retrieves a small well of black ink and the awl she's fashioned for him.

A familiar figure appears on the horizon. Katniss's hair stands on end as she recognizes the thin girl, lazily carrying the lance by her side. When the girl is close enough to see the whites of her eyes, Katniss's instincts take over. In one swift and effortless move, she flicks her wrist, sending the awl spinning through the air, embedding it in the figure's left shoulder. As Johanna screams and falls to the ground, Katniss grabs Finn's knife, which he has dug into the ground beside him, and walks toward her, ready to fuck her up further.

"You couldn't POSSIBLY think you're welcome here!" Katniss yells. Finn is on her heels, begging her to "Calm down, Katniss. Give me the knife!"

"You can pry it out of her heart!" Katniss says to Finn, her voice dripping with rage.

Johanna pulls the awl from her shoulder and flings it to the ground as she stands. "Fuck!" she yells! She sees Katniss coming toward her, armed, and though Finn is one step behind, Johanna can see what danger she's in. Johanna picks up her lance and takes a defensive stance. "Try it. I don't care if you're knocked up," she spits. She takes another step backward, realizing she probably shouldn't have said that. "I'm just here to talk...and to pick up that worthless sack of shit," she gestures her lance to one of the men recovering. Katniss slows her approach, keeping her eyes glued to Johanna.

"CHAFF!" Johanna yells.

"JO?" the man responds. Katniss halts.

Johanna cocks her head to the side and raises her eyebrows. "See?" Johanna says quietly to Katniss.

Finnick is at Katniss's side, staring between her and Johanna. Katniss takes a deep breath. "Finn," she says, startling them both. "Go get Chaff. This bitch isn't taking a single step forward. Or I'll end her. Do you understand?" That last bit was meant mostly for Johanna.

Johanna narrows her eyes at Katniss, but she doesn't move. Finnick reluctantly takes a step back before turning and running toward Chaff.

"You have one minute." Katniss says.

"I'll need longer than that" Johanna says, and she looks to her shoulder then to the ground, where her blood pools at her side.

"50 seconds!" Katniss warns.

Johanna rolls her eyes. "I've been sent to see what medical supplies you need."

"Who the fuck would send you to me?" Katniss scoffs.

Johanna sighs "Look, there arent a lot of people to trust here... In case we have more wounded, we need to keep you well stocked."

"Who is we?"

Johanna takes notice of Finnick and Chaff approaching, theyre just out of earshot. "Like I said. I'll need more than a minute. I have a letter for you. Please. Read it." Johanna throws down her lance and removes a parchment from the small of her back, and extends her arm to Katniss.

Katniss isn't buying what this bitch is selling. "Get off my property," she growls. She takes two steps backward as Finnick passes her, helping Chaff walk. She hands Finn his knife and walks back toward the barrabarra.

"Katniss, please," Johanna pleads to her back. Finnick deposits Chaff next to Johanna. He bends down and collects the awl, stained with Johanna's blood. He stands, and brings 3 fingers to the bridge of his nose. He looks at Johanna. Shes still standing there, ignoring Chaff, arm still extended as she watches Katniss enter the barrabarra. Finnick takes the parchment from her hand.

"Yarrow," he says, breaking her from her trance.

"What?"

"We're good on anemone, I caught some fresh yesterday. But we're out of Yarrow."

After a beat, she finds her voice. "Anything else?"

"Rope would be good, if you can manage it. "

Chaff tries to get to his feet, reaching for Johanna to help him. "Stay down," she snaps to him. "Right away," she says to Finnick.

Finn turns to walks away.

"Finnick?" Johanna's says desperately. Finnick stops, but doesn't look back. "I'm sorry." Finnick quickens his pace.

Finnick approaches the outside fire pit and dunks the awl into a pot of boiling water, washing away Johanna's blood."Anything more I need to know?" he says to the man he was speaking with before.

"No," a voice replies."She needs to read the letter."

Finnick collects the inkwell, and moves into the house. He sees Katniss, kneeled next to the hearth, mashing cansema and clearly pissed off. He stares at her for a long time.

"What are you doing?" Finn asks.

"Preparing some black salve."

"I can see that. I mean what are you doing, running straight into a fight like that?"

"I had it under control, Finn."

"Did you? That's the least in control of anything I've ever seen you."

Katniss rolls her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Katniss," he kneels beside her. "You could never disappoint me. I'm just trying to understand. I know this is hard." He holds the parchment out to her. "There's someone you should talk to outside. And you should read this." When she doesn't take it, he sets it down next to her, along with the awl and the ink. "Peeta will be home soon, if you wanted to stain that with something other than blood."

Katniss makes short work of finishing the awl. She places the finished gift in a basket next to Peeta's bed. She and Finn agreed that she should give it to him herself. She grabs the parchment and walks outside, to find Finn and Peeta sitting, speaking with the same man as before. He's the only one left. Finnick catches her eye and motions for her to join them.

"Katniss. This is Plutarch," Finn introduces.

"Hello Plutarch. Why did I pull 3 bullets out of you yesterday?"

"Because I'm not as quick as I used to be," he chuckles. Katniss doesn't find him funny. "Ok. These," he gestures to the wounds on both his legs, "were gifts from Snow. He shot me when he found out I'd planned the assault on the Russians. We were ambushed by their weaponry." Katniss listens, but just barely. "We're going back tonight." That caught her attention.

"What? Why?" she spent all night patching people back together. So did her mother.

"You know why. I heard you're low on rope, Katniss. I'll bet there's a bible in your house. Your husband was reaped. You have reasons to resist. We need you to arm us. And to heal us."

She looks to Finnick and Peeta, then down to the parchment in her hands. "What's this?" she asks.

"A message."

Katniss opens the parchment and recognizes the handwriting. It's Gale's.

"When Gale was reaped, we recruited him." Plutarch says.

She reads the letter:

My dearest Katniss,

The world we know is about to change. We must save our family. Its time to act. You'll fight at home, but know that I am fighting too.

I hurt us. And I will never stop owing you. I love you.

Remember our story.

-Gale

Katniss reads the letter twice. She doesn't realize she's crying until her tears streak the ink on the parchment. "What does this mean?" she whispers. And why the fuck did Johanna have it, she leaves out.

"It means we're in the middle of a revolution. And we need you. All of you." Plutarch explains. "Your supplies have arrived."

Katniss looks to her left to see Johanna set down two large baskets. Johanna didn't come a step closer than Katniss had warned her earlier, which Katniss would find funny if she weren't so eager for any excuse to slit her throat. After she disappears from sight, Peeta and Finnick collect the packages she's left. They return and Katniss catches Peeta's eye. He sets down the basket and gestures toward the barrabarra. She follows him inside.

"What aren't you telling me?" She asks.

Peeta sighs "I went to the mountain. Theres a group of us there, strategizing and... Making contingency plans. Anyway when I was on my way back, I..,um.. I saw one of the missionaries sneaking around, I think maybe their position has been compromised. I think I need to go warn them."

Katniss can't bear the idea of being separated from her husband right now. "No. You can't. You should tell Plutarch. He can get word to them somehow."

"Yeah. You're right." Peeta nods, not entirely sure of himself.

"I have something for you." Katniss says, pointing to the basket by his bed.

Peeta picks up the basket and looks inside. His eyes widen as he sees the awl. The handle is smooth and fits perfectly in his hand, and the white of the blade is contrasted perfectly with carved designs that remind him of Katniss' markings. "Thank you Katniss," Peeta says, after staring at the awl for some time.

Katniss stands behind him and wraps her arms around his waist, settling forehead between his shoulder blades.

"I'm yours," she whispers.

"Yes. You're mine," he agrees.

Shortly thereafter, the wounded arrive.


	6. qilumitautit

**Author's note: Conflict in this chapter and next, then we'll smooth it out with a literary episode of Maury (we'll find out who the baby daddy is) as the story comes to a close. I thank all of you still with me. Writing this is fun.**

Okay, who's ready to learn some more stuff?

Bidara- large boats. The baidarka is like a kayak, seats 2 or 3. The bidara is meant for 20.

qilumitautit - if you're anything like me, you'll call these 'throwy weapons' but they're actually known as 'bolas.' This is an Inuit word, not necessarily used by the Aleuts, but I like it, so I used it. I added this weapon into the mix since I can't find any instance of bow and arrow use in Aleut culture so I made Katniss a throwing expert, to keep the danger of her distance attack alive.

Bumble bee flower - a plant used to make poison the Aleuts used in whale hunting.

Remembering - The oral tradition of storytelling. Gale asks Kantiss to remember their story in his letter, as his legacy of sorts. He doesn't really deserve it though, does he?

Yarrow & Anenome - Aleut medicine used to stop bleeding.

Cansema & black salve - Another form of medicine, not specific to Aleuts. It was sold as a topical cancer cure until shit like that was outlawed.

I don't own the hunger games. I just play with the characters.

Chapter 6

The bed-hopping routine in the Everdeen home is a thing of the past. Katniss no longer spends her nights rotating through her husbands. She realizes now that Gale's presence necessitated that; she felt she had to ration out her company and her warmth. Since the reaping, however, the beds have been pushed together, and she happily shares sleep with Peeta & Finnick.

Katniss is the first to wake up. It's late in the morning, after another medical all-nighter. She exits the barrabarra and surveys the infirmary outside. There are more injured this time, and mostly everyone is asleep. She puts a large pot of water on the fire pit and adds whale blubber to make a broth for the sleeping injured to enjoy when they wake. Prim arrived at dawn, and has been tending to the infirmary while Katniss rested. She takes the spoon from Katniss's hand

"I'll stir. You've got enough to do," Prim says, gesturing to the makeshift armory Katniss started yesterday.

Katniss sits down at her workstation with her knives and metal tools laid out in front of her, raw materials (bone, ivory, wood, rope) to her left, and a basket full of balls she made from bone to her right. She quickly fashions qilumitautit, measuring out even lengths of rope and attaching them to the balls, 3 to each. She works diligently, anticipating the batch to be picked up by sundown. She's handy with this weapon, herself, but she knows she likely won't see direct battle.

Peeta soon joins her, taking a pot of boiled bumblebee flower off the fire and dipping the tips of knives, awls, and lances into the thick liquid, careful not to touch it. Katniss cannot complete this task in her condition.

"I'm glad you're here." Katniss says, as their fingers move nimbly. They work well together. Peeta's home at her request, having warned Plutarch of his suspicions of the Russians having intel of the Aleut hideout on the mountain.

"You asked me to stay." Peeta says with a smile.

"I did." Katniss agrees.

"I wasn't going to."

"I know." Stupid noble Peeta. She raises and eyebrow. "What changed your mind?"

"Plutarch did. He didn't mean to though. When I told him about the spy I saw, he assured me that everything was okay - that they've picked such a covert location they couldn't possibly be discovered. And told me to join the big meeting there this morning. And, well... look I'm no soldier, or great military strategic mind. But it seems to me an awful lot of people were eager to go up that mountain. And if that many people go, that means theres not a lot left stay back and protect the village? It's my job to protect you. So I stayed."

"Well, here we are a ways out from the town, nearly a full days journey from the nearest Russian house." Katniss considers aloud. "But I do appreciate your staying." She leans over and kisses him.

"Something's wrong." Katniss senses. She whips her head toward the forest and sees a figure appear in the distance, running toward them. As they approach, two more figures appear behind the the first, apparently giving chase. As the first figure approaches, she recognizes the form.

"Rory?!" she whispers. Rory stumbles as he tries to escape the two men, Russians, who are chasing him. He's clutching his right arm as the men gain on him.

"Katniss, go get Finn," Peeta commands, as he arms himself with two knives, and runs toward Rory.

Katniss runs inside, and shakes Finn's shoulder. "Finn! Get up!"

Finn stands, noting her tone, and forcing himself awake "What is it?" he says reaching for his trident.

"Peeta's outside! There were men chasing Rory."

"Stay inside." Finn snaps, as he runs out the barrabarra. Katniss doesn't listen. She runs behind him, yelling for Prim.

"Prim! We have to get inside!"

"What about all these people?" Prim replies

Just then, Katniss hears it. Rory's scream causes Prim to pick up a knife and run toward him.

"No!" Katniss screams. And without thinking she grabs a knife with one hand and a handful of qilumitautit with the other. As she runs, she slides the knife into the waist of her pants, and separates out the threads of the qilumitautit. She's grabbed three. She stops when she's within throwing range, and assess the situation.

Glancing to the left, Peeta's fighting one of the men on his own. The man throws a punch at Peeta's abdomen, which Peeta avoids as he slashes at the man's face with his poisoned knife, drawing blood from the man's right cheek.

To the right, Finnick stands defensively between Rory and the second man, holding his trident with both hands. Prim has almost reached them.

Katniss turns her gaze back to Peeta, who is pinned under the first man. The man is on his knees straddling Peeta and punches him in the face. Katniss spins one of the qilumitautit a few times at her side before aiming it in the direction of the man. It flies through the air and wraps around the mans throat, allowing Peeta to knock him to the ground, and plunge a knife into his side.

Glancing to the right, Prim is on the ground, holding her cheek, and Rory cradles his body around hers. The second man stands above them raising his hand overhead holding a knife. Finn is behind the man, picking up his trident. Katniss sends another qilumitautit through the air, wrapping around the man's wrist before his knife finds a target. Finnick in on his feet and he thrusts his trident into the mans back.

Katniss looks back to the left to see Peeta stand, with the first man laying at his feet. Peeta's shoulders move indicating his heavy breathing, and he spits on the ground. Katniss's eyes follow Peeta as he runs over to Finn, and she watches them speak and gesture to the man Peeta left on the ground. Finn shakes his head as he gestures to the man on the ground behind him. They both make circular motions with their hands and gesture in Katniss's direction. She swallows hard as they both look her way and take notice of her for the first time. Shit.

Rory and Prim help each other walk back toward the infirmary. As they pass Katniss, Rory mutters "Thank you so much."

Finnick flips over the man at his feet, and he and Peeta both kneel next to him. They seem to be speaking to him. Katniss watches a moment later as Finnick brings a knife down and plunges it into the mans chest. Peeta runs back over to the first man and kicks him a few times, as though he's trying to wake him. The man doesn't budge. He bends down and retrieves two knives from the mans body, and untangles the qilumitautit from his neck. Peeta walks toward Katniss.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Peeta yells at her, holding the qilumitautit out to her.

"What the hell were YOU thinking? Running out without Finnick?" Katniss counters.

"You could've gotten yourself killed!" Peeta yells, spiking his knives into the ground and wrapping his arms around her.

"I had to protect you." Katniss says burying her face into his chest.

Peeta laughs. "You did."

"What's Finn doing?" Katniss asks.

"He's seeing if he can get any clues from the bodies."

"They're both dead?"

"Yes." Peeta nods and holds her tighter. Katniss loses herself in his embrace, while she watches Finn search through the men's clothing, and walk toward them holding a few small items in his hands.

"Katniss?"

"Yes, Peeta?"

"Will you fix my nose now?"

"Oh!" Katniss looks up at him and sees his nose gushing blood, the thick dark liquid running down his face. She holds two fingers to his chin and turns his face to the side. "I don't think it's broken. C'mon..."

Katniss and Peeta return to the infirmary to find Prim tending to Rory's wounds. Katniss grabs a handful of yarrow and holds a knife into the fire. She cleans Peeta's nose, then uses the yarrow to help stop the bleeding. She has him lay on his back and rest. Katniss squats down next to Rory.

"Ok, kid. My husbands and sister almost got killed for you. Now, tell me why."

"Katniss-" Prim chastises

"No, it's okay," says Rory. "She's right. Thank you Katniss. Thank you, Peeta." Peeta is still on his back, but lifts his hand and waves his thumb and two fingers once in Rory's direction. "They followed me here," Rory explains.

"Who is 'they?'" Katniss asks.

Finn arrives and joins the conversation. "Well, That one is Cato, and that one is Marvel," Finn says tossing their IDs into the fire. He squats down next to Katniss, kisses her forehead and traces the markings on her face. He leans into her and whispers through his teeth "What the hell were you thinking?" Katniss rolls her eyes. Her husbands are so alike.

Rory continues. "Theyre the Russians that is Snow working with. Last night, they came to the mountain. They...they shot at us. I ran away as fast as I could. I hid in the woods. And then, I went to your mother's house, but when I got there, she wasn't there. But those two assholes were."

"What?" Katniss yells! Prim drops her head into her hands. "Where the hell is my mother?!" Katniss yells again.

"They took her," says Johanna, having appeared from the same treeline as Rory, carrying a large sack on her back and her lance in her hand. When Katniss whips her head around to meet Johanna's eyes, Johanna immediately drops her lance and puts her hands up in surrender. "Seriously, Katniss. We can have it out later."

"Who. Took. Her." Katniss demands.

"Snow. The Russians," Johanna explains. She nods her head toward the bodies laying downhill of the infirmary. "You've met some, I see."

"Where are the elders?" Katniss asks.

"They took them too. So far we count 40 missing. They took them right after the raid on the mountain."

"Why hasn't anyone come here?" Peeta asks.

"It's kind of a bitch to get here. I'm not even sure they know where it is. Plus there are too many men here," Johanna gestures to the infirmary where 40 injured warriors rest. "They may be hurt, but there's still a lot of them. Johanna turns to Finn"I doubt anyone's going to come looking for those two, but I'd move the bodies just the same." Finn nods and turns to walk away. "Finn..."

"Yeah?"

"They ...took Annie, too. I'm so sorry." Johanna says quietly.

Finn worry threatens to consume him. But he shakes his head and says "Right. Well. I'll go move them. Then you can tell us why you're here," he says as he walks away.

Johanna sets down the large sack shes been holding. Its filled with supplies for the infirmary and armory. She pulls on the collar of her shirt, revealing her shoulder wound. "Can someone help me with this?" she asks, failing to keep all of the disdain out of her voice.

"You don't want my help. And neither of my husbands are touching you," Katniss responds. Peeta can't help but chuckle. Johanna huffs in defeat, and let's go of her shirt, covering her wound. Katniss sighs heavily. "Prim. See if you can patch her up," Katniss requests. Prim gestures to an empty bed - the makeshift infirmary they set up includes rows of cots made from tree branches and moss. At least half of them have animal pelts for insulation, but those have been given to the more injured visitors. Prim cleans Johanna's arm - she treats the open wound with black salve, and then calms her burning flesh with another, one of Katniss's creations.

"We have to leave you know. Tonight," Johanna says to no one in particular.

"Leave? And go where? This is our home," Katniss says, again stroking her belly. She notices her belly button sticking out more than usual.

"This was our home," Johanna corrects.

"And why should we listen to you? Hmm? How are you involved here?" Katniss demands.

"I'm married to an elder, Katniss."

"You're lucky he still wanted you."

"I guess that's a matter of opinion. Marrying Chaff isn't like marrying Ga-" Johanna sees the anger rise in Katniss's face and she stops herself. Probably best to keep that name out of her mouth right now. "... I'm not the dominant one in the house," Johanna says in a calmer tone.

"What the hell does that mean?" Katniss asks. She didn't choose her men because she could dominate them.

"It's hard to feel sorry for you," Peeta says sitting up. Katniss turns to him, removes the yarrow from his nose, and finishes cleaning him up.

Finn returns, having dragged the bodies to the far side of the barrabarra and covered them with leaves and sticks.

"Where did they take them?" Peeta asks. He doesn't really expect her to have an answer.

"I'm not sure. But we should move soon if we're going to escape." Johanna says.

"Escape? And where would you have us go?" asks Katniss.

"To Korovin. There's a colony there. They're sympathetic. We can start over there," Johanna responds.

"Start over? Korovin? What are you talking about? This is all happenening too quickly." Katniss says. She stands up and shakes her head at Johanna's suggestion. She looks around, and finds Prim and Rory nodding. Katniss quickly realizes she's the only one outraged.

"Actually, Katniss, this has all been in the works since the reaping was announced," says Finn.

"Really? And just how are we supposed to get to Korovin anyway? That is a very long journey, almost 4 days time!" Katniss continues.

Johanna looks toward Peeta. "Peeta?" Katniss asks, afraid of his response. Peeta squints his eyes and clears his throat. He hasn't had a chance to explain to Katniss yet. "I umm... We have bidara. I built bidara." Katniss widens her eyes in surprise.

Peeta watches the emotions pass through Katniss's face. Surprise, anger, and finally disappointment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We all had our tasks. You were busy with the infirmary. And look at how quickly you fashioned weapons," Peeta offers. He knows he should've said something sooner though. "I'm sorry. We made a judgement call. Didn't want to stress you out in your condition. We were wrong."

"But, we're here now. And we have to do something," Finn adds.

"What we have to do is get to the bidara, and high tail it off this rock. There's nothing left here. You haven't been to the village center since the reaping, Kat. There's nothing there," says Peeta.

They look to her for her decision. This is all a lot for Katniss to accept. But with her husbands, and Prim & Rory all in agreement, she knows she can't let them down. "What about the infirmary?" she asks.

"We'll manage." a voice says from behind. A warrior named Thresh has been resting, since Katniss pulled a slug out of his left abdomen. "Peeta built many baidara, and they've been hidden all over the island."

"What about Annie?" Katniss says, looking at Finn. He drops his gaze to the ground.

"Katniss," says Prim. "We have to go."

It's the middle of the night when they leave the barrabarra and begin their journey. Katniss has left many weapons for the warriors who will fight, and she has packed enough food for a 4 day trek. She's unsure about traveling in her condition, but she knows that this is the best time to go, if they're ever going to. The sounds of the woods at night help cover the sounds of their breathing, and of Peeta's heavy footsteps. She wonders how he manages to snap twigs with every single step. They've taken the long way around the village toward the water's edge, though they will soon have to leave the cover of the trees to reach the bidara. The islands bends, and the bidara are ahead, but just out of sight.

Katniss gasps as she approaches the horror ahead. Half a mile from the water, at the edge of the village, she sees a large group of Aleuts sitting on the ground, guarded by 4 Russians. They huddle together in the cool night air, and Katniss slowly makes out faces among the crowd. Haymitch, Chaff, Martha, Putarch, Annie...and her mother.

"Oh my god," Katniss gasps. "We have to do something."

They peer at the group from the cover of the trees, assessing the situation. Peeta is the first to speak.

"I've got an idea!"


	7. Fire

Autor's note: So, no votes for Finn to be the father, huh? Poor guy. Maybe a little backstory will help tip the odds in his favor?

Also, is anyone interested in what's happened with Gale? Or is the consensus "good riddance" in which case I feel kinda bad for making him such a jerk.

Fixing my typos now...

Chapter 7

"That's beautiful. Is that for me?" Finnick said and he kneeled down next to the girl to watch her while she worked. He removed his hat, which was adorned with bone, and shook out his bronze hair.

"You're not supposed to see this until the ceremony," said Katniss. She was slightly annoyed.

"Why not?"

"Tradition."

"Well, my dear there's nothing traditional about any of this, is there? In fact, I think you should break tradition and tell me all about it," said Finnick. His seductive purr needed work. Katniss laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just. You talk a lot," she told him, remembering Gale's assessment - that he talks 'too damn much.'

"I like to talk. I like talking to you."

"We've barely spoken."

"Well, I intend to change that, Ms. Everdeen."

Katniss rolled her eyes and continued her work. She took care to make the adornment perfectly smooth.

"I hunted that whale myself, you know."

"Did you?" Katniss asked. Her voice was monotone. She never did like people who brag.

"Yes I did. You want to know a secret? I'm the youngest Aleut in the whole allituth to do it too. A fine specimen of man, if I do say so myself. A prize, if you will."

"I'm engaged, but I'll tell the other ladies," Katniss responded flatly.

Finnick sat back on his haunches, deflated. He stupidly went out after a whale to get this girl to notice him. It was dangerous, and he didn't escape without injury. Even worse, on the day of his ceremony, the girl he did it all for barely gave him eye contact.

He gripped his trident into his hand and began to draw waves into the dirt in the space between them. He used strong deliberate strokes, and soon a pattern emerged. Katniss watched him and noticed his skill in maneuvering his trident. She watched how he moved the three points over the dirt with the precision and ease that most people use with one. Her eyes moved up his arms, across his neck, and traveled until she met his eyes, green and beautiful. He'd been watching her watch him. Her hands stilled.

"Tell me about your weapon," she requested.

Finnick laughed nervously. "You think it's stupid, don't you?"

"No."

"Most people think it is. My father says I wasted a perfectly good harpoon."

Katniss's eyes slowly drifted back to the trident in his hand. "Well, I think it's beautiful." Her eyes darted up to his. "Tell me about it."

Finnick took a deep breath and stood up, raising his trident defensively. "As a weapon, its complete. It's reach..." He grounded himself before extending the trident and wielding it expertly through the air in a circular motion. "The support..." he spiked the blades into the ground and used it for leverage to kick an imaginary opponent. "the versatility..."he slashed through the air with the blades then turned the trident upside down and used the blunt end to smash two rocks. "I can disarm my opponents, stalk my prey, and be in complete control." He dropped to his knees, spinning the trident around his wrist. "It's an extension of my arm. It's part of me." He finished his kata, eyes closed, and on his knees as his right arm grasped his trident and extended it out, at shoulder height. "It saved me," he whispered.

Finnick opened his eyes. He was still breathing heavily as Katniss kneeled in front of him. Her eyes asked a question as she extended her finger and ran it across the shaft of the trident. Finnick smiled in permission. She kept her eyes on him as she moved her palm to the shaft, wrapping her hand around it. The index finger of her free hand slid up the throat of the trident and traced the outline of the middle blade. She inhaled sharply as she dragged the tip of her finger across it, drawing blood, then instinctively she brought her finger to her lips. Finnick finally averted his eyes from hers and something stirred inside of him as he watched a drop of her blood fall from the trident to the ground. When he returned his gaze to her, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

Xoxoxoxoxox

"I know this is crazy. I know this is dangerous. So I understand if we don't want to do this," Peeta says as his eyes dart down toward Katniss's middle. "We all have reasons to object. But if we're smart about it, we can do this."

"How do we know they'll leave their posts to check out the smoke?" Prim asks.

"We don't. And if they don't, then we abort." Finnick says with a shrug.

They nod in unison.

"Katniss, you'll need to light the first fire, and get out of there fast. Come straight back to the bidara. It's the closest so you should be able to make it back without exerting yourself too much. Cover your tracks, but nothing fancy, got it?" Peeta gives her a sideways glance. "On second thought, Prim, go with her. So she's not tempted hurt herself."

Katniss gives Peeta a stern look, "I know the plan, Peeta."

"If anything goes wrong, it'll be best for you and Prim to be together anyway." Peeta turns his gaze to Prim. "Light the fire, and go straight to the bidara. That's all."

Peeta turns to Johanna and continues, "Jo, you'll be further away. Wait until you see the smoke from the first fire to light yours." Peeta points to the sloppily drawn map in the dirt. Johanna simply nods. "Rory, you're last. There's a chance they could be onto us by then, so you'll have to be extra careful getting back."

"Got it," Rory nods.

"Finn, we'll hide here," Peeta points to the drawing again, "at the tree line. Once they send people to check out the smoke, we'll need to take out the remaining guards from a distance. Or we'll never get them all out at once. Kat, how many qilumitautit do we have?"

"umm ...8... I left the rest at the armory."

"That should be plenty. We only count 4 guards. Hopefully we won't have to deal with all 4. We've also got my trident and Peeta's poison-tipped knives," says Finnick.

"What do we do if we cant get them all out at once?" Johanna says with an eyebrow raised.

Peeta considers his next words carefully. He knows they won't boost morale. "We're only making one pass at this. We get who we can, and we get out."

The group of 40 Aleuts are at the village edge, under Russian guard. The group includes women, children, and elders. 3 bidara lay just out of sight, a means of escape to Korovin. Peeta's plan is simple; divide and conquer. Though the heroes were wholly unprepared for this final obstacle in their escape plan, they are determined. They prepare to make a stand.

Katniss stands behind Peeta, and as she's done a thousand times, she wraps her arms around his waist, closing her eyes and nestling her forehead in between his shoulder blades. She's worried.

"You can't fail" she whispers to him squeezing him gently.

" I won't," Peeta responds.

"I won't leave without you. So to keep us safe, you have to come back to me."

"I promise."

"I'm yours."

"Yes. You're mine."

Finnick listens to their exchange and familiar words of endearment as he sharpens the blades of his trident. He's comforted by them. He turns his head to toward them to find that Katniss has opened her eyes and is watching him. She smiles when softly when their eyes meet.

"Get going," Peeta suggests turning around and capturing her lips in a kiss. Moments later she turns to Finnick, losing herself in his embrace and kissing him too.

Johanna watches Katniss say goodbye to her husbands, and she understands for the first time exactly why Katniss wants to break her legs. Katniss is in love. For Johanna, an arranged marriage wasn't her choice. It was an obligation, for which she resented her family. She only took comfort in the idea that as a matriarch, she would be in control. But, when her hand was given to an elder, she lost that power. Johanna didn't value the sanctity of marriage. She assumed it was the same for all arranged marriages.

'How could Katniss love them both so purely? She and Peeta were arranged when they were 5!,' she thinks to herself as she watches Katniss reach up on her toes to kiss Peeta. 'Does she love Gale too?'

Johanna had heard Gale say he loves Katniss. But when, in the same breath, Gale essentially called Katniss a slut for 'fucking Peeta on Finnick's time,' Johanna made a few incorrect assumptions about the Everdeen home. For the first time, she feels guilt for having seduced Gale, and for later having spread rumors of an exaggerated version of their affair. She'd seen him speaking to the missionaries. She knew he was having some sort of internal crisis. He was easy prey.

'Thats what happens when you fuck around with young girls,' Chaff mused unwilling to call off their engagement. All her effort for naught. Suddenly Johanna feels lucky all she got was a stab in the shoulder. A stab which has started to throb with her increased adrenaline.

"Let's move," she whispers, nodding to her allies and disappearing into the trees.

Rory strokes Prim's bare face, and imagines the lines that will adorn her when she will receives her tattoos. Then, she will pick her husbands, and he can only hope they live to see that day. "See you soon," he whispers to her and silently begins his task.

Prim hooks her elbow into Katniss's arm and wordlessly they walk together toward their goal. Peeta and Finnick are left alone, watching the Aleut hostages, waiting for their sign.

X

It's not long before Katniss and Prim move nimbly through the forest, and reach their mark.

"Get that green stuff. We need it to smoke like crazy," Katniss says, tugging at branches.

"How much will we need?" Prim asks.

"Not much more." Katniss looks to Prim, who has collected an armful of branches in the time it took her to get one. She must be more fatigued and slower than she realized. "That should do it."

They build a fire, using the greenery and fanning the embers to get it smoking. The flames grow, and Katniss knows that it's time to leave.

"Ok, Prim. Time to scat!"

She takes a step back, and -bump! Her back collides with the chest of a large Russian man.

X

The smoke from the fire has just reached the canopy of the trees. "About time" Johanna grumbles to herself. She lights her fire and ditches the scene. She moves quickly, heading back to the bidara.

X

"Do you see that?" Seneca whispers to the man beside him. "Smoke."

"These people are smart enough to know not to build a fire like that. Somethings going on here," Caesar replies.

"We should check it out," Seneca asserts.

The two men turn to their associates, who agree - the smoke is odd, and should be investigated. Peeta and Finnick watch as the two guards, Seneca and Caesar slowly make their way into the trees.

"Two gone. Two to go," Peeta whispers with a smile.

X

Katniss freezes at the impact. Instinctively, she balls her right hand and spins around, swinging her fist, aiming for the face of the figure behind her. The huff of air she let's out alerts Prim to the danger.

The man catches Katniss's hand mid-swing. "I'm not going to hurt you," he says. Katniss furrows her brow at him in confusion. He releases her hand and ducks, narrowly missing the knife Prim has sliced through the air at his head. When Prim rears back to swing again, the man grabs her wrist and twists it, forcing her to drop the knife, and he bends at the waist, pushing Prim to the ground. He begins to stand in time to feel the rope of Katniss's qilumitautit wrap once around his neck. She hasn't thrown it, she's still holding on tightly to it. Katniss forces the man back to the ground onto his knees. The man brings his hands to his neck, and digs his fingernails into the rope, trying to loosen the grip.

"What do you want?" Katniss hisses. Prim stands, shaking her wrist.

"hah- hah- hah..." the man pants. Katniss rolls her eyes at herself. Shes holding the rope too tightly. She won't get answers this way. She loosens up a little to allow this man to speak. "What?" she repeats.

"Help!" the man says. "Want... to... help!"

"Help?" Prim queries. "Help who?"

"Help...you."

Katniss holds her grip where it is. "Who are you?"

"Ssss. Sssss" Katniss loosens a little more. "Cinna."

"Cinna? Well, Cinna. Why shouldn't I.. Tighten... My... Grip...?" Katniss asks, pulling the rope uncomfortably tight and marking both the man's neck and her hands. Cinna pulls a revolver from his waist, and opens the bullet chamber letting it's contents empty to the ground before tossing the gun itself right next to them. Katniss loosens her grip a little, and her hands begin to throb. "I'm.. not... Armed..." he says, hoping his peace offering will be accepted.

Katniss releases him. Cinna inhales loudly in relief, coughing twice as the oxygen floods his lungs and he rubs the rope burn on his neck. Katniss steps away from him, holding her knife out defensively. Cinna leans forward, placing his hands on the ground in front of him as his breathing evens out.

"I'll help get you away."

"We're not trying to get away."

"Then what are you...?" Cinna looks to the sky, he sees the smoke of a second fire just begin to rise over the trees. "Oh. We should move. This fire you set is going to draw attention. Which I'm guessing is what you want."

Katniss and Prim nod in unison.

Cinna collects his weapon from the ground. He pulls a small handgun from his ankle and extends it by the handle to Katniss.

"Thought you weren't armed." Katniss narrows her eyes at the offering.

"I lied. You know how to use one of these?" Cinna puts the gun into her hand. "Safety's off. Just pull the trigger here. You've got 6 shots. Now, quickly. Follow me." Cinna motions for them to join him. They walk together through the trees.

X

Peeta and Finnick lie prone on their bellies. They take note of the 2 remaining guards, and how they circle the group of Aleuts as they are huddled together. From this vantage point, they can just make out the ropes tied around the hands and feet of each person.

"Fuck. They're tied," Peeta whispers slamming his fist into the ground in frustration . "So much for a quick getaway."

Finnick looks to the trees in time to see the second pillar of smoke rise. "We're running out of time...There's Annie!"

Annie sits, hands and feet bound, as she hums lightly to herself. As the guards circle behind her, Finnick mocks the sound of the cackling goose. The sound means nothing to the Russians, but everything to Annie, and she whips her head along the tree line, spotting Finnick after two or three passes.

Finnick stands and moves swiftly and expertly - flicking his wrist and throwing a small knife through the air, landing less than a yard in front of Annie's feet.

"She'll need a few minutes to get herself free." Finn whispers.

"How'd you know she'd do that?" Peeta asks. He's a bit impressed with their exchange.

"Annie's crazy. Not stupid." Finnick replies with a smirk.

Before the guards have her in their sight again, she's crawled over and retrieved the knife. She cuts herself free of her ropes, as well as the people closest to her. Within minutes, she's freed a dozen people of their binds.

X

"We can't take him to the bidara." whispers Prim.

"I know all about your bidara," Cinna whispers back. Katniss rolls her eyes at Prim. "And no,that's not where we're headed," Cinna finishes.

Katniss recalls Peeta's instructions to her. Light the fire, get back to the bidara, nothing fancy. He'd pitch a fit if he could see just how fancy she is now- pregnant, exhausted, an unknown weapon in her her hand, willingly following an enemy through the trees, chastising her little sister for questioning the situation. Why is she trusting this 'Cinna' anyway? Who the hell is this guy? 'Stupid, this is stupid,' she thinks to herself. Only, she said it out loud.

Cinna stops. He looks toward Katniss, and sees her finger on the trigger of the gun he's given her.

"We've met before," Cinna explains, holding his hands out and his palms down while dealing with the suddenly volatile situation. He probably should've mentioned that before handing her the gun. "In the village center. You spoke to the missionaries. You left angry, and without a bible. That's how I remember you."

"How could you know that?" Prim asks.

"I was their guard." Katniss raises the gun to Cinna's head. "Please, you have to understand. We didn't know what was happening. We thought you welcomed this missionaries. That you were okay with us building a colony. I didn't know about the reaping, or that they would send your people to Russia unwillingly. Or what they would do to the village. Your Chief Snow and our General Coin decided that on their own."

"What about the people at the edge of the village?" Prim asks. Katniss can't find words - she utterly terrified of the gun in her hand. She wants an answer though. And she wants it now.

"Most of the men were on the mountain. After we ambushed them, the village was burned and the women were taken. Your elders are there too."

"What do you want to do with them?"

"Your chief. He traded them."

"Traded them? You can't trade people." Prim shakes her head.

Cinna simply nods his head in response. "They'll be sent to Russia. No pretense this time. No reaping. Just gone."

"What's in Russia? For them?"

"A life of servitude."

Gale. Katniss has only one thought. Gale. How they lured him in. How they took him from her. How they offer nothing but a long and terrible life. How her mother now faces the same.

"I'll help you rescue them." Cinna says, turning his back to Katniss and continuing the walk. She could shoot him now. She SHOULD shoot him now, go back to the bidara, and wait for Peeta and Finnick. But, she doesn't.

A rustling sound in the trees up ahead forces them all to the ground. Seneca and Caesar appear. They pass by them, headed toward the abandoned fire. Seneca stops.

"Wait. Caesar. Do you see that?" Seneca points to the sky. "Another fire."

"Something's not right here. We should go get Coin."

X

Johanna returns to the bidara. She sees the streams of smoke rise high above the trees, and she feels confident that all has gone according to plan. She rounds the bend, expecting Katniss and Prim to have already arrived. But instead, she stands in the dark along the water and finds herself alone. As she untangles one of the bidara from its wooden post, she hears a voice from behind.

"Where are they?" Rory asks.

"I don't know. They should be here."

The sound of gunfire startles them both.


	8. Rescue

**Authors note: Ok, I get it. You all like Peenis best. You gotta give me credit for posing the question "If Katniss has sex with Peeta, Finn, and Gale and gets pregnant, who's her baby daddy" and actually getting serious answers out of you. Not one piece of hate mail yet :) just playing. I appreciate the love. Your reviews and messages encourage me to keep writing. **

I don't own the characters, I just make them do crazy things.

Chapter 8

"Looks like she got...thirteen...fourteen...fifteen free." Finnick watches Annie work, sawing through the ropes on their hands and feet. "Fucking Liars. Thought they were all out of rope." Finnick thinks back to the botched trades.

"Dammit. The guards coming back." Peeta wonders how many people they can help escape.

The smoke over the second fire is high. It'll be mere minutes before the third is visible.

"We're out of time." Finnick says moving his trident to his back. "Let's go."

"What's that? What are you doing?" the guard asks, rounding the huddle and approaching Annie.

Peeta and Finnick crawl slowly from the tree line. Annie hums, gently rocking herself back and forth. The other guard watches his colleague shout demands at the blonde haired woman in the crowd.

"You heard me! What are you doing?" he takes a step forward.

Annie continues to hum, as she brings the knife high above her head and jams the blade down into the man's foot. The guard pushes her back and he screams "Mother fucking bit-" Peeta's qilumitautit around his neck silences him. He falls to the ground, choking, pulling at the rope around his neck.

Peeta is behind the second guard in seconds. He wraps his hand around the man's mouth, and holds it there as he slides his knife into the man's side. He waits for the body to go limp in his arms before releasing it to the ground.

The first guard is still on the ground, struggling as he takes his last breaths. Annie retrieves the knife from the man's foot and hands it to Haymitch. She runs to Finnick and throws her arms around him.

"Am I ever glad to see you youngins," Haymitch says, continuing to free the Aleuts. Peeta wipes the blood from his knife and joins him.

"You came for me?" Annie asks. She's never been happier to see Finnick? Peeta leans in and listens for his response. He knows that while Finnick was upset over her fate, 'Rescue Annie' wasn't exactly the plan."I did." Finnick answers. He turns to the group. "We came for all of you." The smoke from Rory's fire has just reached the tree tops. "We're not out of danger yet." Finnick explains.

Peeta approaches Martha next. He meets her eyes and bends down, cutting her free of her rope. He hands her a knife. "Make yourself useful." Martha accepts the knife without argument and cuts her neighbors free.

Plutarch is on the ground, still wounded. Haymitch swings Putarch's arm around his neck, helping him stand.

"We need to get out of here," says Peeta. "Now."

"But you've only just arrived," says a voice, chilling Peeta to the bone. He stills his hand and looks up, staring into the eyes of the heartless man.

"Snow." Peeta rises to his feet. Snow is accompanied by 10 armed men, and Coin.

"My dear Mr. Everdeen. What are you doing? Are you attempting to steal Ms. Coin's property?"

'Property? What the hell is he talking about?' Peeta thinks to himself. The blood drains from his face when he realizes he means the people around him. He suppresses the urge to vomit.

"I'll tell you what, Peeta. You and Finnick may leave. Now. You were not a part of this deal. And that beautiful wife of yours..." Snow licks his lips, Peeta clenches his jaw. "Even more lovely as she carries, will surely be disappointed if you don't return to her. She's already lost one of you. Where IS Mrs. Everdeen by the way?"

Katniss and Prim approach the Treeline with Cinna. Katniss bites her tongue drawing blood to stifle a gasp as she watches Snow stand before her husbands.

"No. These people belong to no one. They are free." Peeta says, sounding more confident than he feels.

"And they are coming with us." Finnick adds.

"Why must you cause such trouble, boys? You needn't fight, you see..." Snow nods his head to the Russians accompanying him and two men step forward, walking toward Plutarch. Peeta moves to stop them.

"Ah-ah-ah," Snow says, pulling a gun and aiming it at Peeta's head. Finnick puts an arm on Peeta's shoulder begging him to stop. The men reach Plutarch, and Haymitch tightens his hold on him. Snow cocks his gun. "Are you sure, old man?" Snow asks Haymitch. "It's okay," whispers Plutarch and he stands up straight and allows the men to take him.

Martha passes the knife to the bound woman on her left. Katniss's mother is finally free to move her limbs.

The men force Plutarch to his knees in front of Snow and then fall back in line. Snow shifts his aim, but not his words."Leave. Now. Or I'll kill them one by one until you do. And when I'm done...I'll kill you."

Peeta and Finnick look at the faces around them. In the three seconds they take to deliberate, a single gunshot echoes through the air. Plutarch falls dead to the ground. No one screams.

X

"What was that?" says Rory.

"Holy shit. There's trouble. We have to help them." Johanna says, as she ties the bidara back to the wooden post.

"We're supposed to wait here," Rory says. "That's not the pl-"

"FUCK the plan. The plan is dead. That shot could've been for Prim."

Rory suddenly feels sick.

"Quit being a whiny little bitch. Let's go help our friends," Johanna commands. She means it. She hopes they're her friends.

X

"Katniss you have to leave. Now. Go to the bidara. We may have to run and you'll slow us down. Please, Kat. Go." Prim pleads. Katniss cannot hear anything. The gunshot that killed Plutarch still rings in her ears. Her husbands still stand in front of Snow. Plutarch still lies dead at their feet.

"Katniss," Prim's eyes water. "Please."

X

Snow nods again, and the same two men move into the crowd to retrieve another elder. Martha. Peeta and Finnick move instantly, taking two backward steps away from the crowd.

"Okay. Okay. Okay." Says Finn. They put their hands up in surrender."We're leaving."

Martha is on her knees, with tears streaming down her face. Peeta looks at her, feeling a mix of emotions, predominantly fear. The fear a child has for losing a parent. A fear he doesn't have time to sort out as he takes another step backward.

"Not fast enough," says Snow, moving his aim toward Martha and pulling the trigger. Peeta pulls a knife from his waist and throws it at Snow, catching his shoulder, forcing the shot to miss, and the bullet to find the ground.

Cinna takes aim from the treeline. At the sound of the second shot, he pulls his trigger, taking down 3 of the armed men before anyone can tell where the stray bullets are coming from. In the confusion, the Aleuts have charged the Russians, knocking a few of the men to the ground. One guard shoots into the crowd, with his back to Coin, forcing her retreat. The remaining men shoot into the crowd, and the thuds of bodies dropping boom in between shots. Peeta has charged Snow, separating him from his weapon and twists the knife in his shoulder, finding pleasure in his scream. Finnick pulls Peeta off of him. "We have to go, Peeta! Now!"

Martha is still on the ground, and is in danger of being trampled. Haymitch lifts her, tossing her over his shoulder and runs.

The crowd has started to stampede. Johanna and Rory appear, ushering them toward the bidara. Cinna and Prim run along the treeline and join the group as they run from the village edge. Prim runs backward through the crowd. "Mom! MOM?!" she yells, and she's knocked to the ground by a passing man. "PRIM!" Her mother finds her, and helps her up, and they run together. Finally, Peeta and Finnick run too. Peeta looks back to see Snow straddled atop a male figure, with his hands wrapped around the throat. He see bodies, a mix of Aleut and Russian littered on the ground - shot, stabbed, trampled. He looks forward to the 20+ people running ahead of him, the lives he just saved. It's hard to consider this a victory.

Katniss ran along the treeline toward the bidara, but upon hearing rapid gunfire and the surge of the crowd, she stopped. She knows she cannot keep up in that stampede. It's why Prim wanted her to leave. 'Damn it,' she thinks to herself as she squats down and rests along a tree, waiting for the crowd to pass, and hoping it's safe when they do.

The crowd reaches the bidara, the people load themselves into two boats as they arrive, leaving the third for Peeta and Finnick's group.

Haymitch pulls out a knife and holds it to Cinna's throat. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"Haymitch! No!" Prim yells, swatting at Haymitch's arm. "He's with us."

Haymitch rolls her head once and meets Prim's eyes. "Ok, sweetheart." He turns to Cinna. "One toe out of line..." Cinna nods. And climbs aboard the bidara.

Peeta finally arrives at the bidara yelling for his wife. "Katniss! Katniss?!" No response.

Peeta runs to the bidara where Prim and her mother are sitting and crying. "Prim, Prim where's Katniss?"

"I don't know. I told her to come back here. She ran along the trees. I told her before the stampede. I told her to" her words trail off.

"Fuck. FINN!" Finn has just put Aninie onto their bidara. "Finn, Katniss is missing!"

The other two bidara are full and are starting to move away from the island.

"Go find her, we'll wait here," says Johanna.

"Prim said she was running along the tree line. She may be hurt or stuck." Peeta and Finn turn around to retrieve Katniss. And are stunned to find Snow right behind them, with a gun pointed once again at Peeta.

"You have no idea what you have cost me." He cocks his gun and - bang!

The force from the shot forces Katniss to fall backward. The gun in her hand is hot, and she tosses it to the ground. Snow still stands, looking down at the growing liquid spot on his chest, the entry wound a point on his back, the exit wound in his left pectoral. Peeta and Finnick pass by him, rushing to Katniss, before he even falls to the ground.

Katniss sits on her bottom, her legs extended in front of her, the water lapping at her feet as she looks down at the splatter of blood on arms, chest, and she can feel some on her face. As soon as Peeta wraps his arms around her shoulders and Finnick touches her protruding belly, she cries. Peeta picks her up, and carries her to the bidara as Finnick wipes the blood from her hands and face. She lays on her side, outstretched on the bidara, with her head in Peeta's lap and her feet in Finicks. Her tears dry on her cheek as she looks toward the island.

They float away in the thick of the night, watching Unalaska get smaller and smaller until it finally disappears from sight.


	9. Korovin

Authors note: I wrote the scene you're all waiting for, the big reveal... but when I reread it, it seemed like a transition was missing - getting to Korovin, settling in - jumping ahead to baby from where we were felt abrupt.

So, I took a step back and wrote this: The journey, a lemon, and the transition.

A few of you asked why they get down so much. I'm guessing that y'all who are wondering haven't been pregnant. Or Twenty. Trust me, if you were young, had two or three hot husbands, and pregnancy hormones in the mix, you'd be fucking like rabbits too.

Also, speaking as a mother, I can tell you that 2nd trimester pregnant sex is HOT. If you don't agree, you simply haven't experienced it ;)

New Vocab

aanigutyak - the hut built specifically for labor and delivery. It is abandoned after birth.

I don't own the hunger games. I'll give this a reread later, and fix any typos.

Chapter 9

The journey to Korovin was broken up, made longer by many rests for Katniss's benefit. The other boats went ahead, the people eager to begin their new lives. Peeta and Finnick were in no rush. They stopped when necessary, making camp at night on the beaches of the islands that laid along the way. The travel party agreed. No one wanted Katniss to exert herself physically any more than she already had.

They spent the first day entirely on the water. Katniss sat, terrified, and wrapped around Peeta. She seemed to simply crave him. She ran her fingers through his hair, she touched the ivory on his lip, and she nuzzled her forehead into his chest. She wouldn't eat unless Peeta offered her food. And she didn't speak.

"I think we need a rest," Mrs. Everdeen speaks, noticing her daughter's behavior, as well as the setting sun on the horizon.

"I agree, Mrs. E." says Rory. "We should make camp on that beach."

"It'll take us a week to get to Korovin at this pace," Johanna complains. She notices the death stares most of her companions are giving her. She averts her eyes and quiets down.

Peeta and Finnick pull the bidara ashore of the unnamed island and Haymitch quickly creates a fire. Together, they wordlessly fashion moss beds. They pool their supplies, but there isn't a lot other than what was packed for the original 6 who were to travel together for a 4 day journey - Cinna offers whats in his bag, some chocolate and some dried meat, but it isn't much. Since they've unexpectedly added people to their party, and time to their journey, they know their supplies will need to be replenished. But, not tonight.

"I'll hunt soon," Finnick offers, breaking the silence.

It's a full 5 minutes before he receives a response.

"There are blueberries nearby." Prim says, settling down on her moss next to Rory. Her mother watches them, and thoughts of Hazelle flood her mind. She's not sure what's happened to the Hawthornes. She doesn't want to share her worry. So, she smiles at Haymitch, who has been watching her thought process play out on her face, then lies down on her own mossy patch.

"We could pick some. In the morning," Annie finally says settling onto her moss. Finn smiles at her, but she doesn't see it. She's drifted out of the conversation just as quickly as she drifted in.

"Didn't think this all the way through, did you?" Martha asks, watching Peeta and Finnick help Katniss get comfortable. You'd think being nearly executed would humble her.

"Feel free to stay on this island, and follow your own plan," Peeta retorts. Now is not the time for her mouth.

Little more is said that first night, as they try to make sense of their situation. One by one they lie down. The last is Annie, as she sits beside Johanna with her knees pulled into her chest and her head back, staring into the night sky. It's hours before they're all asleep. The notable exception being Katniss, whose exhaustion quickly helps her find a dreamless sleep, nestled between Peeta and Finnick for warmth.

She's not sure how long she's been asleep when she wakes up and strays from her husbands. She walks along the beach, digging her toes into the mud, where the water meets the land. Katniss enters the water and wades waist deep in the tide. The water is cold and feels good on her skin, which has begun to stretch uncomfortably. Her belly is perfectly round, and she stands, eyes closed, rubbing circles around her bump. She's peaceful, and lost in thought so long, the water stills, and she can feel the fauna adjust to her presence. Fish swim around her ankles, occasionally bumping into her. Mud smoothes out under her toes.

It's still dark, early in the morning when Peeta wakes to find himself next to Finnick sleeping and Katniss gone. The entire party is asleep, and so he decides to follow her tracks alone.

Her footprints lead from their moss, around the bend of the island, and into the water. When he finds her, she's standing in the water, staring out toward Unalaska, though it's long since been out of sight. He tiptoes into the water.

"Shiiiit" he hisses. The water is so cold. He wonders how she can stand it.

She doesn't move when she hears his voice. She remains still as hears the water splash behind her and feels the change in the current. It takes Peeta a few minutes, but he finally steps fully into the water.

From behind, she doesn't really look pregnant. Her silhouette is still an hourglass, and is accentuated by the tunic she wears, which is wet and clinging to her figure. Her hair is loose, and pushed to her right shoulder, exposing the left side of her neck.

"You're so beautiful," Peeta says as he approaches her, scaring off the fish.

Katniss smiles, keeping her eyes closed, continuing to rub her belly. Peeta reaches her, and he wraps his arms around her from behind, interlocking his hands with hers and circling his hand around her belly too.

"I'm getting so big. If I stand in this water too long, Finn may try to hunt me."

Peeta chuckles. "You're all belly," he says reassuringly. He slides his left hand above her belly, lightly brushing three fingertips against her left breast.

"Still sore?" he asks.

"No," she whispers, giving him permission to touch her with more pressure.

"Good," he says and he squeezes her in his hand. She sighs audibly and drops her head back to rest on his shoulder and she stares up into the sky as he kneads her breast.

His right hand drifts down under the water, and he pushes up her tunic. He finds her sensitive area, more sensitive than usual, and she moans as he moves his middle finger in circles against her.

"Mmmmm, Peeta. Faster," she begs. Peeta happily obliges.

Peeta trailes kisses down the exposed side of her neck, beginning at her ear and stopping at her shoulder. He bites down gently on her shoulder as he feels her slippery desire on his fingers, so much warmer than the water around them.

"You're close," he says dragging his tongue back from her neck to her ear.

"Mmhmmm" her breathing is short and comes out as pants. Her eyes close as the fiery feeling in her abdomen builds.

He slips two fingers inside of her, and she exhales in relief as he continues to make circles against her with his thumb. The angle is weird for him, but he doesn't expect he'll have to do it for long.

And he doesn't. She quickly approaches her release. Her usual instinct is to scream, but everything about this has been peaceful. Even her release feels calm. "Yes," she whispers as her body tenses. Her walls tighten around Peeta's fingers.

"Damn, Katniss. That was...You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" she lifts her head off of his shoulder.

"The effect you can have." Peeta says, moving her hand to feel his excitement. Standing in cold water does nothing to stop his want for her.

Peeta spins her around and lifts her left leg. He kisses her deeply, and nips at her bottom lip. When they break away, he guides his hardened flesh between her folds as she leans forward and rests her head on his chest. They've made love in water before, by the docks of the baidarka along the shore of Unalaska. But, this time is different. Its needy and desperate. And in an unfamiliar place, at the end of such an ordeal, connecting here and now is more passionate and fulfilling than its been since before Gale left.

"You feel so good," Peeta whispers pulling her closer, trying to get as deep inside of her as he can. It's a challenge with her belly in the way, so he takes care to angle himself so his thrusts don't cause her discomfort. Her whimpers of pleasure let him know he's successful.

Katniss's breath hitches as Peeta picks up speed and the sound of splashing water echoes through the air. She holds onto his shoulders, and leans back slightly helping him go deeper. Her weight is on her right foot, digging into the mud below, and the water is helping her keep her balanced.

She comes undone again, moments before him, with a series of quiet "aaah"s and "mmmm"s let out between them. He releases her leg and they stand facing each other in the water, as their breathing returns to normal.

"I almost lost you," Katniss says quietly. Peeta almost didn't hear it.

"You saved me," he whispers.

Katniss wants to say more, she wants to tell him that she wouldn't have survived losing him, that she loves him the most. But, she doesn't. Instead she just holds him tighter. They're quiet again. The water stills around them, and the sun begins to rise. It's a new day.

On the third day of their journey, when their supplies ran out, they stopped on another small island. Johanna disappeared into the trees to hunt carrying her lance, while Finnick and Peeta took to the water to fish. Prim and Annie collected blueberries. Before sunset, they kindled a fire and cooked a fresh meal of salmon, grouse and berries.

Katniss sat quietly curled with her arms and legs around Finnick. She has been like this the entire trip. Peeta does his best to maintain the tactile support she needs, allowing her to wrap herself around him often. But even he cant sit still forever, and so when Finnick peeled her off and wound her around himself instead , Peeta was grateful for the opportunity to stretch his limbs.

Having two nights of travel to think has been good for everyone. They're grateful for the long journey - it will likely take them the entire time to have the one conversation that they've been trying to get through.

"We did a good thing," Johanna says, feeling proud of herself.

"We lost 4 elders. 8 men. 4 women. And 2 children." Peeta's voice breaks with his last two words. "None of them will get a proper burial."

"We saved 22 people. We killed Snow!" Prim counters. The smile beginning to grow on her face quickly falters as she looks over at Katniss, broken and unable to let go of Finnick. Though it was the group effort that led to Snow's death, it was Katniss who carried the weight of actually pulling the trigger. Katniss tightens her grip on Finn. She wonders where Snow's wife, Anna, is.

"We will remember what we've lost. We'll tell their stories." says Finnick, looking at his wife. "But," his eyes drift to her middle "there can be no doubt that we have done right by the lives we have saved."

"What happens when we get to Korovin?" Rory asks.

Silence.

Haymitch finally offers, "We live."

X

After nearly a week of travel, their new home is visible on the horizon. The feeling of anticipation and lingering terror still plague the group. But, they are mostly just sick of being stuck on the bidara.

"You'll be safe here," Katniss whispers to her belly. "We all will."

They pulled the bidara along the Korovin shore for the first time.

"Welcome," Chief Paylor greeted. A few members of the allituth gathered for their arrival. Paylor tentatively approaches the group and extends her arms toward Katniss.

"Is this the woman we've heard stories about? Was it really you that stopped that tyrant, Snow?"

Katniss was surprised by the stories that preceded her. She suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure to live up to her legend.

"Yes," she said. "We did it together." She smiles at her husbands.

"Well, thank goodness you killed her." Katniss furrowed her brow in confusion, but was distracted moments later by the kicking in her belly. Paylor continues, "We are honored to have you join us. Our healer passed away last winter. We were hoping you would be willing to take that place in our allituth."

Katniss smiles, and considers that this is her opportunity to establish herself. "I am with child, and will soon need to rest. But, two generations and three Everdeen women have come. We would be honored to heal the people of his allituth." With that, Katniss has ensured that her mother and sister will also maintain their honor in this new place.

"Of course." Paylor nods toward Prim and Mrs. Everdeen. "I'll arrange for land to be assigned to you. You will be free to build your homes. In the meantime, please feel free to set up a temporary camp for yourselves along the beach with the rest of your Unalaska allituth."

"Thank you," Katniss says turning her head toward the Unalaska refugees, the lives they saved. "Thank you for taking care of our people."

"We are all the same people," Paylor replies. She smiles softly and Katniss can't help but return it. "We'll leave you to settle. Once again, welcome."

Peeta begins work immediately, and creates a simple wooden structure, one room large, and Katniss weaves large blades of grass together for the roof. Their makeshift bed of twig and moss is a small comfort. Finnick hunts, finding fish to be plentiful in their new island home.

Its not long before Paylor assigns land to the Everdeens. The land is a considerable size, and should accommodate all they intend to build, if they are smart about their space. They plan to build three barrabarras, an aanigutyak, an infirmary, and potentially and armory for Katniss - though she hasn't so much as touched a weapon since she dropped the gun that killed Snow.

More Unalaska refugees arrive, some wounded, all exhausted. And all eager to fill out the various occupational holes in the Korovin allituth.

When Chaff arrives, with news of Brutus' death, Johanna decides to give him a real chance. They're assigned a small patch of land, and they fight over who should procure the traditional animal bone structure for the roof of their own barrabarra.

Cinna builds a small wooden house close to the water, and makes a name for himself in the allituth by growing potatoes and making vodka, much to Haymitch's delight.

Peeta begins his craft business and hires his mother to manage the day to day activities. Martha has trouble getting used to the dramatic shift in power, as she becomes an employee of the Everdeens.

Mrs. Everdeen seems to retreat into herself, as the boats arrive, none of them bringing her husbands to her. She concentrates on the infirmary, visiting with members of the allituth, getting an idea of the medical history of Korovin.

Katniss and Prim fill their days, creating salves and collecting medicinal herbs. Annie helps Katniss most days, accompanying her to do the gathering of berries and the carrying of supplies, as Katniss's pregnancy progresses.

Slowly, over the next few months, Korovin becomes home.


	10. Aanigutyak

Author's note:

I had to borrow some details from Inuit culture for this chapter. The Aleuts are a smaller group and fewer details about their labor practices are around. And a few details from when I gave birth. If y'all want to comment on how Katniss is crazy for doing stuff while laboring, just know that you're speaking to a woman who defended her master's thesis while in early labor. My water broke early, so I put on a pair of depends, and I gave my presentation. Then I got a chicken parm hero, and took an infant CPR class with my husband before checking into the hospital. And if I had to do it over again, the only thing I would change is the hospital part. Home births or birthing centers are the way to go (if all is normal). But, I digress...

I dont own the hunger games.

I'll go back and fix typos later.

Chapter 10

The day Katniss announced her engagement to Finnick, Peeta nearly killed him. Peeta sat along the water, next to his baidarka. He usually watched the water, but today his eyes were fixated on the bronze haired 16 year old with the mangled harpoon. He watched as the man flirted with a blonde girl, who frequented the waterside. A certain rage filled him as he realized that he would be expected to build his life with that man. To share a home and a wife with him. The blonde girl disappeared from sight, leaving Peeta and Finnick alone on the shore.

Peeta calmly walked up to Finnick and took a seat on one of the whale vertebrate chairs next to him. Finnick smiled.

"Fuck you." Peeta said, his voice calm and even.

Finnick cocked his head to the side and replied "No thanks."

Peeta stood and walked closer to Finnick, and pushed him off his chair and onto the ground. He pulled a knife out of his waist and held it against Finnick's neck. Finnick didn't struggle. He expected to have this conversation. He just hoped there would be more talking involved.

"You don't deserve her," Peeta growled.

"Do you?" Finnick spat back. Peeta pressed the blade of his knife into Finnick's flesh. A satisfying trickle of blood ran down his neck and into the sand.

"No," Peeta said through gritted teeth.

"Okay! You're right. I don't."

"Do you even know how amazing Katniss is?"

"Of course I do. That's why I killed a whale for her."

"You killed the whale for her?" Finnick nodded. Peeta removed the knife from his neck.

"Then what the hell are you flirting with that girl for?" Peeta gestured in the direction the blonde haired girl had disappeared to.

Finnick sat up and wiped the blood from him neck."Who? Annie? I wasn't flirting with Annie. I just got engaged you know."

"Do you swear you'll keep your dick in your pants?"

Finnick laughed. "Of course."

Xoxoxoxoxox

Months have passed and Katniss is due to deliver any day. She cannot believe how large and uncomfortable she's become. And boy, does everything hurt. Her back hurts, her hips hurt, her breasts hurt. She sits propped up against the wall, with feather-stuffed sacks to keep her in place. It took her 20 minute to get comfortable, and she's not moving.

It's a late October evening, and the air is chilled. Katniss traces her index finger up her linea negra and gently touches her protruding belly button. Her baby kicks at this and she laughs at how feisty her unborn child already is.

Peeta is in the woods, collecting lumber, eager to build a stockpile before Katniss gives birth. Finnick sits, sharpening the blades of his trident, preparing to hunt in the morning. Finn collects otter and seal pelts, noting the distinctly smaller populations on this island. They face a potentially awful winter without the furs to insulate their barrabarra. Bear would be the best insulator, but Korovin is much smaller than Unalaska, and bears are scare. They could trade for them potentially, but the thought of bear in the house only reminds Katniss of Gale.

Katniss watches Finn work, mesmerized as ever by his trident.

"Finn. Could you build another wooden structure behind the blueberry bushes? A small one." Katniss asks Finnick.

"I thought you didn't want to build an armory." Finnick replies.

"I don't. I want to build a home. There's someone I think we should keep close."

"Who?"

"Annie."

Finnick cannot believe her words. "Why would you want to do that?"

"She's living in our old camping site, Finn. She helps out here all day. And then she leaves. She goes home to nothing. It's not right. She's...family." Katniss smiles and she looks away from him. "I know how much you love her."

"Katniss, I love YOU." He drops his trident,and moves to her side.

"I know you love me." she meets his eyes. "I know it's different. I know you'll never leave me. I know you want your life with me. But I also know that your heart won't be complete without her in it." She smiles. "And if your heart isn't whole, mine won't be either."

Finnick smiles. He cannot believe how generous his wife is. He leans forward and kisses her lips. "Thank you," the words are muffled, "Thank you so much." He accidentally knocks her pillows over, and she tries not to be annoyed by the sudden discomfort that reappears in her hips. The baby is low, really low. She kisses him back.

"Swear you'll keep your dick in your pants," Peeta says. He's just arrived home.

Katniss raises an eyebrow. Finnick laughs. "Of course!" he kisses her again.

"Good. Come on then. I've started the basic structure. Come see."

Finnick walks toward Peeta and gathers up his newly finished parka. As Finn puts it on, Peeta shares a silent conversation with Katniss. Peeta and Finnick walk happily out of the barrabarra.

Katniss struggles to find her comfortable position again. It takes some doing, and another 20 minutes but she finally finds relief. She sighs and hums to herself as she begins to drift off. But then, a curious sensation appears. 'Did I just...pee?' she thinks to herself. Pregnancy has certainly embarrassed her a few times, and she's peed on herself when she's sneezed or laughed too hard. But this is different. It feels like she couldnt stop the pee if she tried. That's when she notices the tightening of her stomach. It doesn't hurt, but she recognizes it as a contraction.

'Damn it. So much for my nap,' she thinks as she stands and tidies up the barrabarra. She prepares a fresh batch of alutiqqutigaq for her husbands. When she feels her belly tightening more frequently, she walks next door, to the barrabarra where Prim & Rory have taken up residence.

"Prim!" she calls.

"Yeah, Kat?"

"I'm headed over to the aanigutyak. Can you go get mom?"

Prim rushes out of the barrabarra and is quickly at her side. Katniss's eyes linger on Prim's face, freshly tattooed and healing. Prim received her marks a year early. After what they've all been through, it was decided that Prim is grown, and she was more than ready to marry Rory anyway.

"Are you sure?"

"I've been pissing my pants for the past couple of hours. Yeah. I'm sure."

"Your water broke?"

"Yup. So I've been doing some stuff around the barrabarra. Do you know if we-"

Katniss falls silent as her belly tenses again. Prim outs her hand onto Katniss's belly and feels the muscles tighten. Once the contraction passes, Katniss speaks. "Have we finished preparing the anemome? I can't leave any projects half finished."

"Yes. You should tell Peeta and Finnick. They'll be a wreck without you."

"No, they know this is coming. It's best I just go now. If I have to say 'goodbye,' it'll be worse."

Prim opens her mouth to protest on their behalf, but she stops when she sees Katniss close her eyes and quietly endure another contraction.

"They're very close together, Katniss."

"No shit."

Prim chooses to ignore that. "You should've been at the aanigutyak already."

"Like I said, I had stuff to do. It's actually felt good to be busy. Moving my hips around feels right."

"Do they hurt?"

"Um..no, not really. It feels like...a Charlie horse. Like a muscle spasm in my abdomen. Not exactly painful, but they are intense. They're getting stronger too."

Another contraction.

"I'm helping you over to the aanigutyak now."

"No, no, I can go myself. I'll manage. It's not far. You go get mom."

"Rory can go get her."

"No, Prim. This part is just us. You can send him to Peeta and Finn with news. But they don't come near the aanigutyak. Got it?

Prim nods her head in understanding. Katniss takes another look at Prim's healing marks and smiles. "We may be doing this for you soon, Little Duck."

"Not too soon," Prim smiles.

Katniss turns around and walks to the aanigutyak. Peeta built it months ago, but no one has been inside since its completion. It's not a far walk, but she stops to pass four more contractions on the way. When she arrives, she finds two large baskets are outside of the hut - medical supplies for the birth her mother brought over. Katniss lights a fire outside of the aanigutak and then she pulls the bags inside and looks through them. She stops herself from taking a step backward when she sees a bear pelt.

"You shouldn't be doing that," Mrs. Everdeen scolds as she enters the aanigutak. "Did you build that fire outside too?"

Katniss nods. "What the hell is this?" she holds put part of the bear to her mother.

"It a bear-"

"I know what it is. It doesn't belong here." Katniss's eyes well with tears.

Mrs. Everdeen know that look well. She wears it too. She lives alone. Neither of her husbands have arrived at Korovin."Ok, Katniss," she says as she picks it up. "I'll put it outside and have Prim gather up some moss."

Mrs. Everdeen steps outside for a moment, and when she returns she finds Katniss standing, swaying her hips from side to side with her eyes closed.

"How far apart are they?"

"A minute or two."

"This won't take long then..."

Rory approaches the wooden structure and finds Finn and Peeta laughing and talking together.

"I can't believe she's doing this for me," Finn says, tossing a piece of wood aside.

"It's not just for you. Aninie really is family now."

"How'd I get so lucky, man?"

"I told you, Katniss is amazing. And soon, we'll be daddies," Peeta beams.

"Sooner than you think," Rory interjects. "The Everdeen 3 are at the aanigutak as we speak."

Peeta is immediately on his feet and takes two steps toward the aanigutak.

"Woah, Peet." Rory gets in front of him. "Where do you think you're going?"

Peeta sighs in defeat. "Right," he reminds himself. "I guess. We should go back to the barrabarra?"

Finnick nods. "We were done here for tonight anyway. Let's go. I'll make dinner. You coming, Rory?"

The three men walk silently back to Katniss's barrabarra. Finnick chuckles lightly when he finds a fresh batch of alutiqqutigaq at the hearth. "She's always taking care of us."

They eat together. Rory suggests a word game. That quickly loses its appeal. Soon, it's late and Rory leaves to go get some rest. Peeta and Finnick are wide wake, wired with worry. But soon exhaustion catches up with them too and they lay together on the bed. For the first time, they wrap their arms around each other as they share sleep.

It's early the next morning when Prim arrives at the barrabarra.

"Hey daddies!"

Peeta is the first on his feet. He ushers Prim inside and demands details.

"Prim! How's Katniss? How's the baby? Is it a boy or a girl? What are-"

"Okay, okay, Peeta. Katniss is fine. Can't a girl sit first? You know, becoming an auntie is busy work."

Finnick rubs his eyes and walks over to them at the hearth.

"I'm sorry. How are you, Prim?" Peeta asks and he hands her a small cup of broth.

Prim accepts his offering, and sits down by the hearth. She sighs and takes two comforting sips, which take ridiculously long time to Peeta.

"Me?" She says with a smirk. "I'm fine. Don't you wanna know about the baby?"

"Yes!" Peeta and Finnick answer together.

"Well, she's really teensy."

"She?" Peeta gasps.

"She," Prim smiles.

Peeta grabs ahold of Finnick's hand. Finnick give him a reassuring squeeze.

"And," Prim continues. "She's got blue eyes."


	11. Annakpok

Author's note:

We have reached the end of this story. Let's name that baby! And I've tossed in a postpartum lemon. You mommies reading this will appreciate it ;)

I really appreciate your feedback, reviews, comments, etc. it's been fun.

I don't own the hunger games. I'm just a squirrel in Suzanne Collins's World.

Forgive my typos...I'll go back and fix them, later.

Chapter 11

It's a chilly November morning when the shaman performs his blessing. Baby Everdeen will be blessed and honored, and will need a name.

Haymitch, Martha and Mrs. Everdeen are the elders in attendance. And they are all completely in love with the little darling. Though she's only 8 days old, she represents so much to the refugees. She's the first Unalaska baby born in Korovin, and her birth does not go unrecognized by Chief Paylor either, who has also opted to attend the naming ceremony.

"Did you decide on a name yet?" Peeta asks.

"I have one in mind," Katniss says, unable to take her eyes off her child. "It's-"

"Don't tell us!" Finn interrupts.

"We agreed to let you name her. Whatever you've chosen, we will love it. We love her," Peeta agrees.

"Okay...I'll tell the shaman our choice." Katniss has gone with tradition, and chosen the name of a deceased family member. One that she loved very much. Gale.

It's not uncommon for babies to be named after deceased family members. What is strange about this pick is the fact that Katniss has chosen to honor a man who would have disgraced their family. And, she wasn't certain he is dead. For all she knows, he's living happily in Russia. But, she's past her hurt, her anger, and her frustration. All that remains is her broken heart. She's mourns the loss of his love, and his presence. And she did love him. And he was her husband. Her expression of respect and love is not lost on her family. They respect it. Accept it even.

But, as the custom is to receive two names, and one is the traditional name assigned by the shaman, the baby will be addressed by her spiritual name: Annakpok, meaning free, uncaptured.

"We name this child. We will protect her from Khoughkh," the shaman says as he finishes his blessing.

"C'mon, Poky," Peeta whispers. " Let's get you home."

X

Katniss sits in the small room in the back of the barrabarra, grateful to her mother for insisting she build it. Primarily used for "parental purposes," Katniss originally didn't see the need. Her relationship with Peeta and Finnick was open, and after hearing Gale talk about how restricting the room made him feel, she didnt want to add any physical barriers to her home that she didn't feel in her heart.

But that was before Poky.

Two or three weeks after she gave birth, a very sleep deprived Katniss found herself screaming vicious things at Peeta for leaving wood shavings on the ground near the hearth. She then turned over their (heavy) wooden bed and hurled a basket full of ivory at him, before dropping to her knees and bursting into tears. As a result, Katniss has spent the last 7 weeks in relative isolation in the small room. Poky is with her most of the time - Peeta and Finnick keep her in the main room sleeping in her bed as much as Katniss will allow. But, Katniss has rarely come out to see her husbands. She cooks while they are out, and since she mostly sleeps when the baby sleeps, she doesn't interact with them a lot. It better this way, she thinks, to protect them until she could get ahold of her emotions. Her pregnancy hormones were nothing compared to her postpartum anxiety. Add to that to her cramps, lochia, and the fact that she STILL looked pregnant, and she was the hottest mess she's ever felt.

But today is different. She doesnt have the overwhelming urge to cry. Her lochia stopped weeks ago. Nursing seems to have taken 20 lbs off. And Poky actually slept for 6 straight hours. Katniss enters the main room to find Peeta putting Poky down in her bed. She walks over to Peeta and wraps her arms around him from behind, nestling her forehead in between his shoulder blades.

"Welcome back," he whispers.

Finnick stands in the wooden structure helping Annie decorate her new home.

"What should we draw?" he asks, holding a bowl of the blueberry based paint they just finished making.

"Water," she replies. She misses the water. She's never lived this far from it. She was reluctant to leave the refugee camp home on the beach, but Finn had convinced her that the wooden home they built on the Everdeen's land would not only be safer, but warmer too. Even she couldn't argue with that logic, in the December weather.

Finn draws waves along the dark beige interior of the home. Annie sits and watches him, while holding a short length of rope in her hands and making knots.

"I know you miss the water Annie. It's dangerous and beautiful. Just like you. But I think you'll be happy here." Finnick wipes his brow and takes a step back, admiring his work. "I hope you'll be happy here," he says quietly. "What do you think, Annie?" He turns around and finds her staring at the wall.

"Annie?" he calls again.

But she doesn't reply. She simply stares at the waves on the wall. Finnick sighs. He knows he's lost her.

"I'm going to go home now, Annie," he says as he puts down the bowl and moves toward the exit. "I'll um, come by tomorrow."

Finnick approaches the entrance of the barrabarra and hears muffled noises and whispers coming from inside. He enters the large room to find Peeta on top of Katniss on their bed. Her legs are wrapped around his waist and he hovers over her, thrusting into her while balancing on his elbows. Finnick removes his parka and kneels down by the hearth, warming up his fingers.

"...I love you too," Katniss whispers.

"Fuck. Fuck. It's so good. You're so wet." Peeta whispers.

"mmhmmm. I missed this," Katniss whispers back.

"I missed you," Peeta whispers. He drops his head down and kisses her, opening his mouth and sliding his tongue against hers.

"Welcome back," Finn says to Katniss as he takes in the sight of them.

"Shhh," says Peeta, breaking the kiss. He's not alarmed by Finn's voice and he doesn't miss a thrust. "Poky's sleeping."

Peeta pushes himself up and sits back on his haunches, exposing their bare bodies and momentarily separating himself from Katniss. He grabs her thighs and pulls her to him, spreading her legs wide. He holds onto her hips as he enters her again, finding a new rhythm.

"Hey, Finn" Katniss whispers. She turns her head and extends her hand out to him.

Finnick walks to over to the bed, takes her hand, bends down and kisses Katniss on the forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm...ahh... I'm feeling ...better."

"Fuck, Kat. I'm close"

"You seem better," Finn chuckles.

"I miss you, Finn."

"I miss you too."

Peeta hits a particularly sensitive spot and Katniss turns away from Finn and meets Peeta's eyes as she lets out a moan. And wakes up the baby.

"Shit," Katniss says. She props herself up on her elbows.

"I got her," says Finn. "You finish up."

Finnick adjusts himself as he walks away, it's been weeks for him too after all, and he couldn't help but be aroused listening to Katniss's moans. He picks Poky up and holds her upright lightly bouncing her, soothing her cries. He's quite good with her.

Peeta picks up the pace, panting quietly, so as not to disturb Finn and Poky. He keeps one hand on Katniss's hip, but drags the other across her abdomen and down to the apex of her thighs, gently applying pressure the bundle nerves nestled there. She feels her breathing quicken, as she climbs toward a release. Peeta can't hold on much longer. "Kat, let go," he breathes. Peeta's movements still and he pules inside her. The feeling is so good and so complete to her. She feels her body tense and... she doesn't have an orgasm. But, she does feel her breasts swell with milk. Her mind and clearly her body are too preoccupied with getting over to the Poky, as she hears her hungry cry on the other side of the room.

When she approaches the hearth and reaches her arms out for Finnick to pass Poky to her, he happily hands her over. She pulls her baby to her breast, and sighs in relief when her newborn suckles.

"Once she's back down," she promises Finn and she raises an eyebrow to him.

"Not tired yet? I guess you are feeling like yourself."

She smiles. "Mostly. I still feel like a crazy version of myself, but it's better. Hormones, huh?"

"You're telling me," Peeta says, pointing to a scar on his ankle where a piece of ivory cut him.

"Get over it. I stitched you up," Katniss offers.

"Yeah, Peeta. Don't be such a wuss," Finnick teases, and he leans in and give Katniss a kiss on the lips.

Outnumbered, Peeta sighs in defeat.

Katniss sits with her back against the wall and her knees propped up. Poky rests on her thighs and she stares into her eyes. Katniss can't help but notice how much bluer Poky's eyes have gotten. She knows who the biological father is. Peeta does too. But they won't say it out loud.

"How long until you make her a trident, Finn?" Katniss asks.

"As soon as she can toddle," he smiles.

Katniss can't help but smile when she thinks about the men in her life. "I made a stew. Who's hungry?"

"Let's eat!" says Peeta. He's definitely worked up an appetite.

"Do you want to bring some to Annie?" Katniss asks Finnick.

"No. She's not up to having visitors today." Katniss nods her head in understanding.

Peeta finishes his meal and motions for Katniss to pass him the baby. "I'll take her. You could probably use some downtime too. Use the back room, so you don't get distracted," he says to Katniss, but he smiles at Finnick.

"Not a bad idea," Finnick says and he raises his eyebrows at Katniss a few times.

"Poky's belly is full." She squeezes her breasts. "And I'm empty. Maybe I can finish this time," Katniss says hopefully.

The back room was definitely a good idea.

X

Winter greets Korovin with a terrible blizzard. The wind is so high and the temperature is so low, that the Everdeens all gather in one barrabarra for warmth. Mrs. Everdeen, Prim & Rory, and even Annie are staying the night in Katniss's home until the weather passes. Katniss boils a slab of whale blubber to make a broth for the family to enjoy.

"Once this storm passes, I'll have to take another hunting party out. We're low on whale," says Finn.

"Yes, another whale would be useful. We'll trade with you," Rory suggests.

"You should go hunting with us," says Peeta. "Earn your share."

Prim smiles. Inviting her husband to hunt means they accept him. "That's a good idea. I'll keep Katniss company."

"Yeah right, Little Duck. You just want to see Poky," Katniss points to the baby sleeping on the ground beside her.

"Guilty," Prim smiles.

Katniss shakes her head and smiles. "Oh, boy. I should really put her in her bed." She picks Poky up and turns to Peeta. "Could you move her bed to the back room? I don't want to keep her out here with all of us still awake." Peeta nods and stands up to move the baby bed. They both move to the back room to help Poky settle back down.

A gust of cold wind finds its way into the barrabarra.

"Finn, seal that entrance back up, will you?" Katniss calls.

But Finn doesn't respond.

"Finn!" She tries again, shivering from the cold. She picks up Poky and holds her close to keep her warm. Peeta steps outside the room to see what's going on. He returns a minute later.

"Katniss. Give me the baby. And go to the main room," Peeta says calmly and evenly. "Okay..." she passes Poky to Peeta. Katniss walks into the main room. She spots Annie first, stirring the whale broth. She can hear oFinn and Rory resealing the entrance. By the hearth, her mother and sister are huddled over a something. She takes a step closer and

"...daddy?"

The man with grey eyes turns to her and smiles softly. She kneels down next to him and embraces him along with her mother and sister.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get here," the man whispers.

"It doesn't matter. You're here now," Mrs Everdeen sobs.

Katniss takes note of his shredded parka on the ground. "How did you get here?"

"A Russian woman. Portia. She helped us escape. She led us to bidara."

"Where's Dad?" Prim asks, inquiring about their other father. Mr. Everdeen shakes his head slowly.

Katniss sees dark marks on his wrists and ankles. She drags her index finger along one of them. He winces.

"Gifts from Snow," he says looking away.

"I killed him." Katniss says flatly.

Mr. Everdeen forces himself to meet her eye. "Anna Snow."

Katniss feels her stomach knot. She looks toward Finnick, whose eyes mirror her own fear. Of course! The Snow matriarch. Katniss would have to meet with Chief Paylor once the storm passes. Her mind races as she tries to figure out were to begin. But she's broken from her trance as Annie hands Mrs. Everdeen a bowl of broth.

"Thank you," he says to Annie as he accepts the broth. He looks toward Finnick and furrows his brow. Finnick nods.

"Let's get you cleaned up, Daddy," Prim says with a sad smile. "Then maybe you can meet Poky," she continues, and she raises a questioning eyebrow to Katniss.

"Yeah," Katniss nods. "I'll go see if she's up." Katniss walks to the back room and finds Poky asleep in Peeta's arms. The air is warmer, and so once he sees Katniss, he easily puts Poky down in her bed.

"What did he say?" Peeta whispers

"He said he escaped. Cinna's contact helped. But...Anna Snow has been holding him. ...what if she followed him?" She wraps her arms around herself.

Peeta is by her side, and pulls her into his embrace.

"We can't think like that. We're here. And right now this is safe and this is home. Korovin. Chief Paylor is nothing like Chief Snow."

"What do we do?"

"We live."

Katniss looks down at her sleeping baby. In this home rests her family, the people she loves the most. They're sheltered from the elements. They're together. And they're strong. Anything that comes next she can handle, she tells herself. As long as she remembers one thing.

"I'm yours." Katniss whispers, as she nuzzles into Peeta's chest.

"Yes. You're mine."

FIN

Author's Note: So here we are at the end of Unalaska. Thank you so much for sticking around.

Shoot me a pm if you want this story to have another part. There are some loose ends here. I've got more ideas for the Everdeen family, if you're interested in reading more.

Thanks again!


	12. Unangan, Makushin

Happy June, everyone.

Ive just posted the behinnings of two new stories. The Unalaska sequel, _Unangan_, and Gale's story, _Makushin_.

I hope you enjoy them. Read and review! Show me some love :)


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